Tuberculosis
hideTuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or Tuberculosis) is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, in humans mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs (as pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, the gastrointestinal system, bones, joints, and even the skin. Other mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium africanum, Mycobacterium canetti, and Mycobacterium microti also cause tuberculosis, but these species are less common in humans.
The classic symptoms of tuberculosis are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Infection of other organs causes a wide range of symptoms. The diagnosis relies on radiology (commonly chest X-rays), a tuberculin skin test, blood tests, as well as microscopic examination and microbiological culture of bodily fluids. Tuberculosis treatment is difficult and requires long courses of multiple antibiotics. Contacts are also screened and treated if necessary. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in (extensively) multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. Prevention relies on screening programs and vaccination, usually with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG vaccine).
Tuberculosis is spread through the air, when people who have the disease cough, sneeze, or spit. One–third of the world's current population has been infected with M. tuberculosis, and new infections occur at a rate of one per second. However, most of these cases will not develop the full-blown disease; asymptomatic, latent infection is most common. About one in ten of these latent infections will eventually progress to active disease, which, if left untreated, kills more than half of its victims. The proportion of people in the general population who become sick with tuberculosis each year is stable or falling worldwide but, because of population growth, the absolute number of new cases is still increasing. In 2004, mortality and morbidity statistics included 14.6 million chronic active cases, 8.9 million new cases, and 1.6 million deaths, mostly in developing countries. In addition, a rising number of people in the developed world are contracting tuberculosis because their immune systems are compromised by immunosuppressive drugs, substance abuse, or AIDS. The distribution of tuberculosis is not uniform across the globe with about 80% of the population in many Asian and African countries testing positive in tuberculin tests, while only 5-10% of the US population test positive. It is estimated that the US has 25,000 new cases of tuberculosis each year, 40% of which occur in immigrants from countries where tuberculosis is endemic.
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News tagged with tuberculosis
Scientists reveal a new mechanism that increases atherosclerosis in mice
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- For all the good it does, a liver protein that senses and gets rid of drugs and pollutants from our body has a downside. For the first time, it has been shown that when it is chronically activated, ...
Iowa State University researcher uncovers potential key to curing tuberculosis
Oct 01, 2009 |
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Researchers at Iowa State University have identified an enzyme that helps make tuberculosis resistant to a human's natural defense system. Researchers have also found a method to possibly neutralize that enzyme, ...
New test quickly ID's active TB in smear-negative patients
Sep 23, 2009 |
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Active tuberculosis can be rapidly identified in patients with negative sputum tests by a new method, according to European researchers. Active tuberculosis (TB) is the seventh-leading cause of death worldwide, and while ...
Researchers discover new antituberculosis compounds
Sep 16, 2009 |
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Attempts to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) are stymied by the fact that the disease-causing bacteria have a sophisticated mechanism for surviving dormant in infected cells. Now, a team of scientists led by researchers from Weill ...
Inhibitors of Important Tuberculosis Survival Mechanism Identified
Sep 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Attempts to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) are stymied by the fact that the disease-causing bacteria have a sophisticated mechanism for surviving dormant in infected cells. Now, a team of scientists ...
Emerging and re-emerging plagues: Is there a rising danger?
Sep 16, 2009 |
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As a result of dominant media coverage of new epidemic threats such as swine influenza, other infection risks receive less public attention than they deserve.
Tuberculosis patients can reduce transmissability by inhaling interferon through a nebulizer
Sep 15, 2009 |
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A new study published in the September 15, 2009, issue of PLoS ONE found that patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis receiving anti-TB medications supplemented with nebulized interferon-gamma have fewer bacilli in the ...
Analysis of TB treatment studies identifies gaps in guidelines
Sep 15, 2009 |
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International guidelines for treating tuberculosis are due for specific improvements, according to two research papers published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine.
Genome sequencing reveals genetic diversity of the bacteria that cause Buruli ulcer
Sep 11, 2009 |
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A new study lays the groundwork for development of a cost-effective tool for studying the population structure and spread of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer. Researchers at the Swiss Tropical Instit ...
Researchers find TB-prevention therapy is cost-effective option
Sep 09, 2009 |
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University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers have found that the cost of preventive antibiotic tuberculosis (TB) therapy for patients infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is generally less expensive than ...
Tuberculosis treatment may be shortened
Sep 02, 2009 |
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According to Dutch researcher Hanneke Later-Nijland, it may be possible to shorten the duration of treatment for tuberculosis. Due to the long duration of treatment, not every patient sees it through. Partly because of this, ...
Urine LAM-ELISA poor at diagnosing TB
Aug 28, 2009 |
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Urine LAM-ELISA does not appear to be useful as an independent diagnostic test for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). A trial of the new diagnostic, described in the open access journal BMC Infectious Diseases found that it was ...
Smoking increases risk of developing active TB
Aug 24, 2009 |
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Smoking is a risk factor for active tuberculosis (TB) disease, according to a new study on TB incidence in Taiwan.
Tuberculosis treatment may be shortened
Aug 17, 2009 |
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According to Dutch researcher Hanneke Later-Nijland, it may be possible to shorten the duration of treatment for tuberculosis. Due to the long duration of treatment, not every patient sees it through. Partly because of this, ...
New drug-resistant TB strains could become widespread, says new study
Aug 10, 2009 |
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The emergence of new forms of tuberculosis could swell the proportion of drug-resistant cases globally, a new study has found. The finding raises concern that although TB incidence is falling in many regions, the emergence ...
