Tuberculosis (TB): - is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs, though it can affect any organ in the body. It can develop when bacteria spread through droplets in the air. TB can be fatal, but in many cases, it is preventable and treatable.
In the past, TB, or “consumption,” was a major cause of death around the world. Following improvements in living conditions and the development of antibiotics, the prevalence of TB fell dramatically in industrialized countries. A majority of the people affected were in Asia. However, TB remains a matter of concern in many other areas, including the United States.
Currently, antibiotic resistance is causing renewed concerns about TB among experts. Some strains of the disease are not responding to the most effective treatment options. In this case, TB is difficult to treat.
A person may develop TB after inhaling Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) bacteria. When TB affects the lungs, the disease is the most contagious, but a person will usually only become sick after close contact with someone who has this type of TB.
Type of TB: -
• latent TB
• active TB
1- latent TB: - A person can have TB bacteria in their body and never develop symptoms. In most people, the immune system can contain the bacteria so that they do not replicate and cause disease. In this case, a person will have TB infection but not active disease. Doctors refer to this as latent TB. A person may never experience symptoms and be unaware that they have the infection. There is also no risk of passing on a latent infection to another person. However, a person with latent TB still requires treatment.
2- active TB: - The body may be unable to contain TB bacteria. This is more common when the immune system is weakened due to illness or the use of certain medications. When this happens, the bacteria can replicate and cause symptoms, resulting in active TB. People with active TB can spread the infection.
The risk of developing active TB is higher in:
1. anyone with a weakened immune system
2. anyone who first developed the infection in the past 2–5 years
3. older adults and young children
4. people who use injected recreational drugs
5. people who have not received appropriate treatment for TB in the past
Symptoms: -
Latent TB: A person with latent TB will have no symptoms, and no damage will show on a chest X-ray.
Active TB: A person with TB disease may experience a cough that produces phlegm, fatigue, a fever, chills, and a loss of appetite and weight.
TB can cause:
1. persistently swollen lymph nodes, or “swollen glands”
2. abdominal pain
3. joint or bone pain
4. confusion
5. a persistent headache
6. seizures
Diagnosis
A person with latent TB will have no symptoms, but the infection can show up on tests. People should ask for a TB test if they:
have spent time with a person who has or is at risk of TB
have spent time in a country with high rates of TB
work in an environment where TB may be present
Two tests can show whether TB bacteria are present:
the TB skin test
the TB blood test
However, these cannot indicate whether TB is active or latent. To test for active TB disease, the doctor may recommend a sputum test and X-ray.
Treatment: -
With early detection and appropriate antibiotics, TB is treatable. Treatment for latent TB can vary. It may involve taking an antibiotic once a week for 12 weeks or every day for 9 months. Treatment for active TB may involve taking several drugs for 6–9 months. When a person has a drug resistant strain of TB, the treatment will be more complex. It is essential to complete the full course of treatment, even if symptoms go away. If a person stops taking their medication early, some bacteria can survive and become resistant to antibiotics. In this case, the person may go on to develop drug resistant TB. Depending on the parts of the body that TB affects, a doctor may also prescribe corticosteroids.
Causes: -
M. tuberculosis bacteria cause TB. They can spread through the air in droplets when a person with pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, spits, laughs, or talks. Only people with active TB can transmit the infection. However, most people with the disease can no longer transmit the bacteria after they have received appropriate treatment for at least 2 weeks.
Prevention: -
Ways of preventing TB from infecting others include:
1. getting a diagnosis and treatment early
2. staying away from other people until there is no longer a risk of infection
3. wearing a mask, covering the mouth, and ventilating rooms
TB vaccination: -
In some countries, children receive an anti-TB vaccination — the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine — as part of a regular immunization program. However, experts in the U.S. do not recommend BCG inoculation for most people unless they have a high risk of TB. Some of the reasons include a low risk of infection in the country and a high likelihood that the vaccine will interfere with any future TB skin tests.
Complications: -
If it spreads throughout the body, the infection can cause problems with the cardiovascular system and metabolic function, among other issues. TB can also lead to sepsis, a potentially life-threatening form of infection.
By: B.M.T. Montadher Talib