Tuberculosis

 

 

Myobacterium tuberculosis

 

 

What is it?


It is usually caused by the bacteria  Mycobacterium tuberculosis that attacks the lungs. But this bacteria can attack other parts of the body as well. Once rare in developed countries, tuberculosis infections began increasing in 1985, partly because of the emergence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens a person's immune system so it can't fight the TB germs. In the United States, because of stronger control programs, tuberculosis began to decrease again in 1993, but remains a concern.

 


How is it transmited?


Usually via droplets from an infected person, when the infected person coughs near a healthy person.

 

 

The figure shows the strains of the tuberculosis

 

 

What are the symptoms?

 

How to treat it?


Medications are the cornerstone of tuberculosis treatment. But treating TB takes much longer than treating other types of bacterial infections. With tuberculosis, you must take antibiotics for at least six to nine months. The exact drugs and length of treatment depend on your age, overall health, possible drug resistance, the form of TB (latent or active) and the infection's location in the body.

A recent study suggests that a shorter term of treatment — three months instead of nine — with combined medication may be effective in keeping latent TB from becoming active TB. With the shorter course of treatment, people are more likely to take all their medication and the risk of side effects is lessened. More study is needed. Most common TB drugs

If you have latent tuberculosis, you may need to take just one type of TB drug. Active tuberculosis, particularly if it's a drug-resistant strain, will require several drugs at once. The most common medications used to treat tuberculosis include:

There's some evidence that taking vitamin D during tuberculosis treatment enhances some of the effects of the drugs