About Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is infection of the lung that causes by a germ called mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is more often attack the lung, but also it can damage other parts of our body (brain, vertebra, gastrointestinal system, lymph)

Despite the fact that TB rates have declined in both sexes in the United States, certain differences exist. TB rates in women decline with age, but, in men, rates increase with age. Men are more likely to have a positive tuberculin skin test result.

In the United States, more than 60% of TB cases occur in persons aged 25-64 years; however, the age-specific risk is highest in persons older than 65 years

Tuberculosis is the most causes of infection diseases related mortality in the world. The case-fatality rate for TB was 50% for untreated patients before the advent of antibiotic therapy. TB-related deaths worldwide are estimated at 3 million per year. In the United States, the mortality rate of TB dropped from 12.4 deaths per 100,000 population in 1953 to 0.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2004; this is approximately 4% per newly identified case.

The most prominent symptom of TB is a chronic cough. Other symptoms include fever, night sweats, chest pain, bloodstained phlegm, and fatigue and weight loss. There are various tests used to determine if a person has TB. A common test is a skin test in which a small amount of the protein from a killed TB bacterium is injected under the skin of your forearm. If the test is positive, a small bump will appear in the next two to three days. This test will tell if you have ever been infected with TB but it will not determine whether or not you have an active infection. TB bacteria can lie dormant in the lungs over a long period of time. If a person with a positive skin test will not be contagious if the infection is not active.

Chest x-rays will show scars on the lungs and lymph nodes of the chest. This indicates that you were infected with TB in the past. A chest x-ray can reveal signs of an active infection. The doctor may also take a sample of your phlegm. This can be examined for presence of the TB bacterium. If it is present in your phlegm, you definitely have an active infection and are contagious. If the doctor is still unsure, after performing these tests, a bronchoscopy may be performed. In this procedure, a tiny sample of your lung tissue is removed for laboratory analysis.

Most incidences of TB can be cured by antibiotics. There are several different types available and patient usually takes a combination of three or sometimes even four different types daily for six months. However, there are some TB bacteria that are resistant to these antibiotics. In this case, the infection is labeled multi-drug resistant TB

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