Biology Microbiology Gt-Sc1 Tuberculosis (TB) Term Paper

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M. tuberculosis can extend to other tissues or organs such as the lymph nodes, joints, skin, bones, the central nervous system, the urinary tract and the abdomen. The host immune reaction to M. tuberculosis originally involves the employment of activated macrophages to the site of infection in the lung, where they can form a tuberculous granuloma that serves to restrict the infection. Bacteria that are trapped in the granuloma face aggressive surroundings that become anoxic and rich in toxic fatty acids. M. tuberculosis under these circumstances has been assumed to take for granted a dormant status in which it can remain viable for years without causing observable disease. A succeeding breakdown of the immune system of the host may permit its emergence from this dormant status, resulting in reactivation of the latent disease (Manganelli, Dubnau, Tyagi, Russell and Smith, 1999).

In order to diagnosis TB a doctor will complete a battery of tests in order figure out what is going on. A person is often not put into the hospital for either the initial tests or the beginning of treatment.

a Chest X-ray is the most common diagnostic test used to diagnose tuberculosis. An X-ray will show any abnormality in the mid and lower lung fields, and any lymph nodes that may be enlarged. Reactivated TB bacteria usually penetrate the upper lobes of the lungs.

A Mantoux skin test which is also known as a tuberculin skin test (TST). This test helps discover people who are infected with M. tuberculosis but who have no symptoms. A doctor must read the test (Tuberculosis, 2010).

Doctors will set down several special medications that must be taken for six to nine months.

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Standard therapy for active TB consists of a six-month regimen:

two months with Rifater (isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide)

four months of isoniazid and rifampin (Rifamate, Rimactane)

ethambutol (Myambutol) or streptomycin is often added until their drug sensitivity is known

Treatment takes that long because the disease organisms grow very slowly and, unfortunately, also die very slowly. Doctors use multiple drugs in order to reduce the likelihood of resistant organisms coming out (Tuberculosis, 2010).

Prevention of TB includes a vaccine, known as bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) may prevent the spread of tuberculosis and tuberculous meningitis in children, but the vaccine does not necessarily protect against pulmonary tuberculosis. It can result in a false-positive tuberculin skin test which then has to be distinguished by the use of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test. Health officials usually advocate that this vaccine be used in countries or communities where the rate of new infection is greater than 1% every year. BCG is not generally suggested for use in the United States since there is a very low risk of tuberculosis infection. It may be measured for very select patients at high risk for tuberculosis and who meet certain criteria (Tuberculosis, 2010).

A person can expect to keep their job, stay with their family, and to lead a normal life. Nevertheless, they must take their medicine regularly in order to be sure of a cure and to prevent others from being infected. With treatment, a person's chance of full recovery is very good. If a person goes without treatment, this disease will progress and lead to disability and/or death (Tuberculosis, 2010)......

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