Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis an infectious disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. It spreads from one person to other through air when people with active TB coughs, split, speak, sneeze. It generally affects the lungs and also other parts of the body. The symptoms of TB are a chronic cough with blood containing mucus, fever, weight loss and night sweats. If the people who have active TB in their lungs cough, spit, speak, sneeze it spreads to others. Diagnosis of active TB is based on chest X-rays, culture of body fluids and microscopic examination, also relies on the tuberculin skin test or blood tests. Prevention of TB involves screening those who are at high risk and vaccination with Bacillus Chalmette Guerin. TB is treatable and curable disease. Active, drug susceptible TB is treated with 6 month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs. Multidrug resistant tuberculosis is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin which are powerful firstline drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second line drugs which require treatment for about 2 years. First line drugs for tuberculosis include isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, pyrazinamide, streptomycin. Second line drugs include ofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin.

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