Tuberculosous

The disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a rod-shaped bacterium. Symptoms of TB include coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, chills, and fatigue. Children and people with weakened immune systems are the most susceptible; half of all untreated TB cases are fatal.

In most cases, inhaling tiny droplets of moisture that contain the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium infects a person. These droplets form when a person sick with TB coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Small particles carrying two to three bacteria surrounded by a layer of moisture are released into the air. “A sneeze may release as many as forty million microscopic droplets. There can be hundreds of bacilli

“A vaccine for the prevention of tuberculosis, has not been cleared for use in the United States. However the Bacillus Calumett-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is widely used throughout the rest of the world. This vaccine consists of a live attenuated (weakened) bovine strain that probably causes a non-progressing infection that is a substitute for the infection with virulent TB strains. Not everyone who receives the vaccine is protected, but those who are vaccinated become PPD-tuberculin skin test positive. In such people, the skin-test becomes useless as an aid in the diagnosis of the genuine M. tuberculosis infection.” (Infection Control, p.78)

In Secondary TB, the formerly dormant bacteria multiply and destroy tissues in the lungs. They also may spread to the rest of the body via the bloodstream. Fluid or air may collect between the lungs and the lining, while tubercles continue to develop, progressively destroying lung tissue. Coughing of blood or phlegm may occur. At this secondary stage, carriers of TB can infect others.

There are two types of infections, Primary and Secondary TB. In Primary TB, a person has become infected with the TB bacteria but is often not aware of it. does not produce noticeable symptoms. During this early stage, TB is not highly contagious and does not produce noticeable symptoms. Macrophages (cells that detect and destroy foreign matter) ingest the bacteria and transport them to the lymph nodes where they may be inhibited, destroyed, or they may be multiplied.

Chest X-rays may reveal tubercles or other signs of tuberculosis in the lungs. They are usually done after a skin test has indicated a previous infection. However, chest X-rays done for other reasons, sometimes reveal the presence of the tubercles.

“The body expels many inhaled tubercle bacilli before they can do harm. Some bacilli settle into the layer of mucus that lines most of the respiratory system, including the nasal passages and the tracheobronchial tree. The bacilli trapped in the mucus layer are moved up the airways toward the throat

Some topics in this essay:
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