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Tuberculosis: Leading Infectious Disease Killer

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Tuberculosis is one of the leading infectious disease killers around the world. There has been twenty thousand to two-hundred thousand cases in the United States just this past year. Tuberculosis is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Mycobacterium Tuberculosis usually infects the lungs however, it can also attack kidneys, spines, brains, or any other body part. Not everyone infected with tuberculosis bacteria becomes sick. There are two different types of tuberculosis bacteria, Latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease .Latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI) is an immune response stimulation by Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without evidence of active tuberculosis. LTBI can live in someone's body …show more content…

Tuberculosis is spread through the air from one person to another. The bacteria is put into the air when a person with tuberculosis disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People who breathe in these bacteria and become infected. A person may not know they're infected or show symptoms of tuberculosis for weeks. However this person could still be contagious. You can not receive tuberculosis if; an infected person gives you a hug or kiss, using an infected person's toothbrush, shaking an infected person's hand, eating or drinking after an infected person, and sharing clothing, a bed, or towels with an infected …show more content…

The bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine is not recommended for adults or use in the United States. In over nine out of ten patients, with the appropriate treatment tuberculosis can be cured. Usually the treatment require several different kinds of treatment that are given from half a year to a year. The only type of tuberculosis that is contagious is the active variety, when it affects the lungs. If a person is tested positive for latent tuberculosis infection the doctor may prescribe a medication to reduce the risk of developing active tuberculosis. If a person is able to prevent LTBI from being active then they won't transmit tuberculosis to anyone else or get tuberculosis disease. Since there is less bacteria in a person with latent tuberculosis disease, treatment is a lot easier. The most common medications given for LTBI include; isoniazid, rifampin, rifapentine. Treatment can be more difficult for tuberculosis disease, the most common medications are; isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol,

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