| Tuberculosis is an infection caused by the Koch | | | | into the air when someone who has TB coughs, |
| bacillus, also known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, it | | | | sneezes, shouts, or spits (which is common in some |
| primarily affects the lungs and it is contagious, healthy | | | | cultures). People who are nearby can then possibly |
| persons receiving the infection if living or working in | | | | breathe the bacteria into their lungs and get infected. |
| the same place with the infected person. By | | | | There is a form of tuberculosis, which is transmitted |
| coughing, shouting or sneezing, the infected person | | | | by drinking unpasteurized milk. The responsible |
| spreads the germs into the air, and others inhale | | | | bacterium for this form of TB infection is called |
| them. Shaking hands or touching clothes does not | | | | Mycobacterium bovis. Years before, this bacterium |
| infect others. | | | | was a major cause of TB in children, but it rarely |
| Besides the lungs, TB can also affect lymph nodes, | | | | causes TB now since most milk is pasteurized (a |
| intestinal tract, kidneys, bones, and brain. | | | | heating process that kills the bacteria). |
| The easiest persons to infect are the children and | | | | Another way to get TB, but a rare one is the skin |
| those who have a weakened immune system. | | | | way. People who work in laboratories and handle the |
| Some of the TB symptoms are: coughing for a long | | | | TB germs can get infected if they have a skin lesion |
| period of time, lose of weight and appetite, night | | | | that gets in contact with the germ. Others may get |
| sweats, fever and chest pains. | | | | TB when getting a tattoo done with instruments that |
| In 1993, the World Health Organization declared TB a | | | | have not been sterilized. |
| global emergency, due to its high rate of | | | | Treating TB nowadays is made with multiple drugs, |
| transmission, every year 8 million people getting | | | | and it takes longer then 6 months to cure this illness. |
| infected by it. Health authorities are concerned that if | | | | Some of the used drugs are: isoniazid, rifampin, |
| TB is left unchecked, it will kill 35 million people in the | | | | pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, in different |
| world in the next 20 years. | | | | combinations. |
| A person can become infected with tuberculosis | | | | Generally if the treatment is followed all the way, a |
| bacteria when he or she inhales minute particles of | | | | person can heal without problems, and reintegrate |
| infected sputum from the air. The bacterium gets | | | | within the society in about 6 to 9 months. |