Learn More About Tuberculosis
Learn more about what Tuberculosis is, how it impacts health, and it's implication in society.
Mycobacteria Tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis (TB), a disease that primarily affects the lungs but can also spread to other parts of the body (1).
This bacteria has a thick, waxy outer layer that makes it highly resistant to the body's immune system and many antibiotics, allowing it to survive inside the lungs for years (1).
TB spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and while many people can carry the bacteria without getting sick (a condition called latent TB), others develop active tuberculosis, which can cause coughing, fever, and serious lung damage if left untreated (1, 15).
What Makes Tuberculosis Different?
Slow Growing
Culturing this pathogen can take up to 6 weeks, which can be detrimental to diagnosing a patient (1).
Opportunistic
If immunocompromised, tuberculosis can be deadly as hosts have no protection (1, 15).
Resistant
Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis requires extensive treatment, individual to every patient (2, 6)
When Mycobacterium tuberculosis enters the lungs, it can either stay dormant or become active. In active TB, the bacteria multiply, causing inflammation and damage to lung tissue (1, 15).
The immune system tries to contain the infection by forming small clusters of immune cells called granulomas. If the bacteria break out of these granulomas, they can spread to other parts of the body, leading to more severe forms of TB, such as in the bones or brain. Without treatment, TB can cause serious complications, but with proper antibiotics, it can be cured (1).
