World Tuberculosis Day
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March 24, 2020
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March 24th, 1882, was the day Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). It is the bacteria that causes ‘tuberculosis’ (TB). This day has been designated World TB Day.
Most TB cases are from South East Asia, including India. TB affects adults, mostly in their productive years. People having a weakened immune system, such as in HIV infection, are more prone to active TB. Approximately 1/3rd of the world's population has latent TB infection with no symptoms!
TB spreads through the air by cough, sneeze, or spit. Symptoms of active lung TB include coughing that lasts for three or more weeks, coughing up blood, weight loss, fever, or loss of appetite. TB can also affect any other body part, like the kidneys or brain, except the nail, hair, and teeth enamel!
Diagnosis is by Mantoux skin test, sputum or blood tests, X-rays or CT scan, and the more recent interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs).
There is only one preventive vaccine for infants: The Bacille-Calmette-Guerin (BCG). However, its protective effect does not extend to adults. Standard treatment for TB is called the ‘4-drug cocktail’ with Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol and Rifampin.
Reasons why TB is a major killer:
· Mild symptoms that delay diagnosis and treatment.
· Improper use of a single drug or drugs from bad storage conditions.
· Not following the strict 6-month drug treatment regimen.
· Increase in multidrug-resistant TB bacteria (MDR-TB) that survive despite standard medications.
World Health Organization’s ‘End TB Strategy,' aims to eliminate the global TB epidemic by 2035, by reducing 90% of TB cases. Proper education will help prevent disease progression and transmission. Until the ‘white plague’ gets eliminated, World TB Day remains no celebration.
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Disclaimer: Don’t follow any suggestions in this article without consulting a qualified doctor
Sources:
- 'Tuberculosis.' Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/immunization/diseases/tuberculosis/en/.
- 'World TB Day 2020'. Tuberculosis. (CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday/default.htm.
'Tuberculosis.' Mayoclinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351250.