Tuberculosis
August 20th, 2008Tuberculosis is a highly dreaded infectious disease. A bacterium called mycobacterium tuberculosis is the perpetrator of this disease. Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease. The primary target of tuberculosis is the lungs but other parts like the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system, lymphatic system, bones and joints are also susceptible to be affected by this disease.
Chronic cough, severe fever, perspiration during the nights, blood stained sputum and rapid weight loss are the major symptoms of this disease. There is also a tendency to cough up blood and get fatigued easily. Tuberculosis is spread through air by the coughing, spitting and sneezing of the infected person.
There is usually great difficulty in spotting the onset of the disease. This is largely because of the slow rate at which the organism grows. Tuberculosis radiology is the most popularly used method in the diagnosis of TB (Tuberculosis).
Antibiotic treatment is used to counter the bacteria. The most potent antibiotics against TB are isoniazid and rifampicin. The peculiarity of this disease is that unlike other bacterial diseases, it requires a longer course of antibiotic treatment, ranging from 6 to 12 months.
Prevention of TB can be done by spotting people with Tuberculosis, treating them and averting its spread. There is a vaccine available for children against tuberculosis. In tropical areas, people who are exposed to a specific bacterium called nontuberculous mycobacteria get immunity from tuberculosis. Development of a proper vaccine for adults would help in the complete eradication of this disease.