Tuberculosis

Symptoms: Weight-Loss, Generalized Weakness, Fatigue, Fever and Night Sweats, Cough that is Productive in Nature & Lasting for more than 3 Weeks or Chronic Cough, Pain in the Chest, Hemoptysis, Loss of Appetite, Pain near the Site of Infection.

Definition:

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis that spreads from person to person through air. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys, or the spine. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death from an infectious agent worldwide, causing even more deaths in HIV/AIDS patients. A third of the world’s population is said to have contracted the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with estimates of ten million new infections globally each year.  Discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch, Tb is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide.

Tuberculosis transmits via aerosolized microdroplets. This is classically generated from a coughing patient with active tuberculosis or other means such as singing, shouting and sneezing.
 

Theme: Traditional Treatment- Communicable Diseases

Sub Theme: Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Source Years: 2023