Tuberculosis

Definition

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body. The disease is transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, leading to significant public health challenges. Understanding TB is crucial for grasping how infectious diseases interact with the human immune system and for implementing effective disease prevention strategies.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
2. The immune response to TB involves a complex interaction between the bacteria and various immune cells, which can sometimes lead to tissue damage and disease progression.
3. Drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis have emerged due to incomplete treatment regimens, making TB a challenging disease to control.
4. Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, chest pain, weight loss, fever, and night sweats, which can significantly affect quality of life.
5. Prevention strategies for TB include early detection through screening, effective treatment of infected individuals, and vaccination programs.

Review Questions

• How does Mycobacterium tuberculosis evade the human immune system during infection?
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis has several mechanisms to evade the human immune system. It can survive within macrophages by inhibiting phagosome-lysosome fusion, allowing it to replicate without being destroyed. Additionally, it alters the host's immune response by secreting proteins that modulate inflammatory pathways, helping it persist in the body. This evasion complicates treatment and makes it essential to understand how TB interacts with immune defenses.
• What role does drug resistance play in the management of tuberculosis, and what are its implications for public health?
  • Drug resistance in tuberculosis arises when patients do not complete their prescribed antibiotic regimen or when inappropriate treatments are administered. This results in multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), which are much harder to treat. The rise of drug-resistant strains poses serious implications for public health as it can lead to outbreaks that are difficult to control, requiring more extensive resources and advanced medical interventions.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of current tuberculosis prevention strategies in light of emerging challenges such as drug resistance.
  • Current tuberculosis prevention strategies focus on early detection, effective treatment of latent infections, and vaccination with the BCG vaccine. While these strategies have been effective in reducing TB incidence globally, emerging challenges like drug resistance and co-infection with HIV complicate efforts. Evaluating the effectiveness involves assessing not only the reduction in TB cases but also the adaptation of these strategies to address the evolving landscape of the disease, ensuring they remain relevant and impactful in diverse settings.

Related terms

Mycobacterium tuberculosis: The bacterium responsible for causing tuberculosis, characterized by a slow growth rate and a thick waxy cell wall that makes it resistant to many antibiotics.

Latent TB Infection: A state where a person is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis but does not show symptoms or feel ill, and cannot transmit the bacteria to others.

BCG Vaccine: A vaccine for tuberculosis that contains a live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis, used primarily in countries with high rates of TB to reduce the incidence of severe forms of the disease.