Tuberculosis

Fernando Martínez Ayala

Tuberculosis, is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs.

Description

Tuberculosis is spread through the air when people who have an active Tuberculosis infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air.

Most infections are asymptomatic and latent, but about one in ten latent infections eventually progresses to active disease which, if it is not treated, kills more than 50% of those who are infected.

Pulmonary tuberculosis

About 25% of people may not have any symptoms.

The upper lung lobes are more frequently affected by tuberculosis than the lower ones.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis

In 15–20% of active cases, the infection spreads outside the lungs, causing other kinds of TB.

Extrapulmonary TB occurs more commonly in immunosuppressed persons and young children.

Management

Treatment of TB uses antibiotics to kill the bacteria. The two antibiotics most commonly used are isoniazid and rifampicin.

Latent TB treatment usually employs a single antibiotic, while active TB disease is best treated with combinations of several antibiotics to reduce the risk of the bacteria developing antibiotic resistance.