Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Definition - Tuberculosis is a chronic infection disease caused by tubercle bacilli. The disease primarily affects lungs and causes pulmonary tuberculosis. It can also affect intestine, meninges, bones and joints, lymph glands, skin and other tissues of the body. The disease also affects animals such as cattle which is known as bovine tuberculosis.

Causative organism

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mode of transmission

Droplet infection, Tuberculosis mainly spread by droplet infection.

Other ways : Pulmonary tuberculosis is also transmitted by inhalation of infected dust.

Incubation period - This may be weeks or months, depending upon the host-parasite relationship and the dose of infection,

Clinical manifestations

·  Chronic cough

·  Continuous low grade fever

·  Chest pain

·  Haemoptysis

Loss of weight

Complications

Control measures

·  Early case finding

·  Chemotherapy

·  BCG Vaccination

·  Health education

Early case finding

Case: The first step in tuberculosis control programme is early detection of all cases in the community. WHO defines a case of pulmonary tuberculosis as, "a person whose sputum is positive for tubercle bacilli".

Case finding tools: Sputum examination by direct microscopy is now considered for early detection of cases. The reliability, cheapness and case of direct sputum examination has made it number one case finding measure all over the world.

Health education.

The health education programme should motivate patients to undergo regular treatment and follow up, disposals of sputum and co-operation with agencies administering the programme.

Treatment

Anti Tuberculosis Treatment Drugs