TUBERCULOSIS OVERVIEW

Tuberculosis being one of the world most dangerous disease, affects the lungs, though it spreads to other parts of the body. The disease is caused by bacteria, mycobacterium tuberculosis, an airborne microorganism. This disease causes death of 1.6 million people as from 2016, this disease is curable, mostly at the early stage of infection.

Facts about causal organism

• they are in various forms
• borne by the air, meaning can be spread from person to person through the air
• can't be killed by the lung phagocytic system

electron microscopy of the bacteria strain
This bacteria was discovered by Robert koch as the causal organism for Tuberculosis.

Robert koch

Types of tuberculosis

• Latent tuberculosis
• Active tuberculosis

In latent tuberculosis, bacteria remain in the body, showing no symptoms but can become active
Active tuberculosis is contagious and can be transmitted

Transmission of disease
When people with active tuberculosis sneeze, cough, speak or spit, they give out thousands of strains of mycobacterium tuberculosis, which are very infectious. People who have close contact with infected people are at a very high rick of becoming infected. To prevent person to person spread of tuberculosis, is by isolating infected people and giving them anti-tuberculosis drugs, which will not make it contagious after weeks of treatments.
It takes three to four weeks (latent period) before infected person can transmit it.

Spreading of disease can be prevented by;

• wearing face mask
• avoiding public places with multitude of people
• ventilation
• cover nose when sneezing
• avoid careless spitting
• Vaccination

According to World Health Organization, prevention rely mostly of vaccination of infants with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and treatment of active Tuberculosis

DIAGNOSIS

• Blood in sputum

• Examination of lungs sound using stethoscope

• Chest x-ray

• Examination of lymph nodes for swelling

• Skin test for latest tuberculosis

skin test may prove falsely negative in cases like lymphoma and active tuberculosis

Skin test using Mantoux tuberculin reagent

Symptoms of tuberculosis

• Night sweats

• Chills

• Loss of appetite

• Cough that prolong for three to four weeks

• Blood in cough sputum

• Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing

• Unintentional weight loss

source

RISK FACTORS

• Patients of HIV/AIDS
  since HIV suppresses body immune system, making it difficult for the body to handle the causal organism of Tuberculosis, mycobacterium tuberculosis

• Those in contact with infected people, like health workers

• Environment
  Some parts of the world have high rate of tuberculosis prevalence like; africa, caribbean islands, eastern europe, latin america

• Drugs, like anti-bacteria drugs

• ignorance/lack of awareness

MEDICATIONS

People with early signs of Tuberculosis should visit their doctors for diagnosis.
The cornerstone for treatment is taking the drug as prescribed by doctors. It is necessary to take antibiotics at least five to eight months

Drugs include

• Isoniazid

• Pyrazinamide

• Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)

• Linezolid

• Bedazuline

People with drug-resistant Tuberculosis can take a combinations of fluoroquinolones and injectable medications like amykaxin, kanamycin for close to 20 - 25 months

Completing treatment is very important, It might be tempting to stop medication when seeing improvement, because some of the bacteria that are alive may become resistant to drugs.