| Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the | | | | protein derived for the TB germ. After more then 48 |
| Koch bacillus, a germ that belongs to the | | | | hours the injected skin area will present a bump. If |
| Mycobacterium family. It primarily affects the lungs | | | | the bump is large, the test is considered to be |
| and it is contagious. Besides the lungs, TB can also | | | | positive, meaning that the TB infection has occurred. |
| affect lymph nodes, intestinal tract, kidneys, bones, | | | | If this test does not convince doctors about your |
| and brain. | | | | condition, they will ask you to do a thoracic X-ray |
| If you have a strong immune system you could not | | | | which shows where in the lungs the infection could |
| get ill of TB even if you come in contact with | | | | be localized and how greatly it is expanded. |
| infected subjects. You could also inactivate the virus | | | | If the suspected person coughs, doctors take the |
| and keep it locked in your lungs by creating with the | | | | sputum and with the help of the microscope they |
| help of macrophages a scar tissue all around the | | | | search for the TB germs in the sputum. This is quite |
| infected area, but in the moment you get a weaker | | | | an accurate method of diagnosing TB. |
| immune system (like those people who have HIV) | | | | The HIV patients are at high risk of developing TB, |
| the bacillus could reactivate and manifest and even | | | | due to their weakened immune system. Some of |
| infect other organs. | | | | them are infected with TB and the virus is not |
| Symptoms of TB infection are: cough that lasts | | | | active, but at any moment the virus can wake up |
| longer than three weeks, fever, breathing problems, | | | | and manifest. In the world, there are about 38 million |
| night sweats, fatigability, chest pains, and loss of | | | | people living with AIDS and about one-third of them |
| weight and appetite. | | | | also have TB. Very often tuberculosis affects the |
| TB is transmittable from mother to fetus and | | | | HIV patients long before other problems correlated |
| symptoms of the infection appear during the first | | | | with HIV develop. |
| year of life: fever, poor feeding, breathing problems, | | | | Tuberculosis seems to appear more frequent in |
| failure to thrive and even swollen liver and spleen. | | | | crowded, non-hygienic places like: prisons, juvenile |
| Healthy persons receive the infection if living or | | | | detention centers, and homeless shelters. |
| working in the same place with the infected person. | | | | General preventing methods of spreading the TB is |
| By coughing, shouting or sneezing, the infected | | | | hospitalizing the infected person, and practically |
| person spreads the germs into the air, and others | | | | isolating it from those who are healthy. Treatment |
| inhale them. Shaking hands or touching clothes does | | | | must be followed at least 6 months constantly |
| not infect others. | | | | because interrupting the treatment could lead to |
| Another form of tuberculosis is transmitted by | | | | spreading the disease in other organs, like: kidneys, |
| drinking unpasteurized milk. The responsible bacterium | | | | intestinal tract, and lymph nodes, and even leading to |
| for this form of TB infection is called Mycobacterium | | | | the death of the infected person. |
| bovis. Years before, this bacterium was a major | | | | For the treatment to be effective, patients must |
| cause of TB in children, but now since most milk is | | | | take their prescribed dugs during all the period of |
| pasteurized (a heating process that kills the bacteria) | | | | time they were advised by the doctor, otherwise |
| it does not cause TB any more. | | | | the bacillus could get multiple drug resistant and this |
| There are some tests doctors do to find out if one | | | | would only lead to a crisis of effective drugs against |
| is infected. First of all, they perform a skin test, | | | | tuberculosis, and to a possible epidemic. |
| meaning that they inject into your skin a purified | | | | |