World TB Day!

Hi, 

Do you know that today is World TB Day? Today commemorates the day bacteriologist Robert Koch discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiology of Tuberculosis, on March 24, 1882. 

Tuberculosis is the 2nd largest infectious disease killer in the world. It arose from bovine TB during the Neolithic period. According to CDC, as of 2011, about nine billion people become sick because of TB. 1/3 of the global pop. is infected with TB but most of them don't show symptoms. When this happens, the immune system is able to control the disease from getting out of control. The bacteria is acquired by infected droplets of TB infected people, through skin, and un-pasteurized milk.

Mycobacteria tuberculosis invades many parts of the body. It usually starts out in the lungs if inhaled. This type of TB is called Pulmonary Tuberculosis. The bacteria can then spreads to other parts of the body like the Lymph nodes, Skin, Kidney, and Spine. This type of TB is called Extra-pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Symptoms for Pulmonary TB include chest pain and prolonged coughing, while extrapulmoary TB symptoms depend on where the bacteria spreads.

There are certain cases where the TB bacteria is resistant to some of the antibiotics used to treat TB. This case is called Multi-drug TB or MDR-TB. Sometimes the TB bacteria is resistant to almost all antibiotics used to treat TB. This case is called Extensively drug resistant TB or XDR-TB. Both can be fatal.

People at risk include the immunosupressed, smokers, diabetes mellitus patients, and alcoholics.

Search up TB to learn more!

Let's beat TB!

To the Stars!
Tanishq