Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: A Complete Guide to Symptoms, Risks, and Treatment

 

Introduction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, otherwise known as TB, is an infectious disease. Most affecting the lungs, but can also affect any part of the body, including the glands, brain and the spine. Although TB is curable, it can be fatal if untreated. Anyone can become unwell with TB, but those most at risk are those who have had contact with a person with infectious TB. The most common symptoms of TB are a cough lasting longer than three weeks, unexplained weight loss, a high temperature, drenching night sweats, not wanting to eat and feeling very tired or having no energy.  Mycobacterium tuberculosis serves as a clear example of how a microscopic organism can have a profound impact on human health and society.

What is mycobacterium tuberculosis?

Causes tuberculosis (pulmonary and extra pulmonary)  . Hematogenous spread may result in extrapulmonary tuberculosis and milliary tuberculosis. Leading cause of death in the world from a bacterial infectious disease.  Affects 1.7 billion people/year equal to 1/3 of the world pop. The disease spreads through the air when a person with active TB coughs, sneezes, laughs, or even speaks. Anyone nearby can breathe in these germs and become infected. However, not everyone who is exposed will get sick right away. Some people develop what is known as latent TB, which means the bacteria live quietly in the body without causing symptoms. Others may develop active TB, which is when the illness becomes serious and contagious. 

Haw is transmitted mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is transmitted from one person to another mainly through the air. When a person who has active TB in the lungs coughs, sneezes, talks, or even laughs, tiny droplets carrying the bacteria are released into the air. If another person nearby breathes in these droplets, they can become infected. TB does not spread by shaking hands, sharing food or drinks, or touching surfaces, because the bacteria need to reach the lungs through inhalation. Crowded and poorly ventilated places increase the risk of transmission, making it easier for the disease to pass from one individual to another.

Pathogenisis:

M. tuberculosis produces no recognized toxins, The organism is capable of multiplying intra-cellularly stimulating CMI & hypersensitivity which leads to tissue damage.The resulting pathology depends on whether the disease is a primary infection, a reinfection or reactivation.  Infection with M. tuberculosis confers on the pt two conditions, resistance and hypersensitivity, it infects all parts of the body.

Sign and symptoms of TB

TB has two stages Latent and Active

1. Latent TB

• TB present in the body, usually have a positive skin test.

•  No symptoms, don’t fell well

•  Not infectious, can develop TB disease in later life

•  Sometimes antibiotics used at this stage to keep the TB infection from becoming disease

2. Active TB symptoms

•  Weight loss

•  Productive cough (for more than a month)

•  Chest pain

•  High fever

•  Night sweating

•  Hemoptysis

•  Loss of appetite

•  Chills

• Weakness/fatigue

• Active TB is highly infectious and spread by coughing, sneezing, laughing, singing or just talking

Risk factors

• Close contact with large populations of people, i.e., schools, nursing homes, dormitories, prisons, etc.

•  Poor nutrition, alcoholism, HIV infection, the predisposing factor.10 % of all HIV-positive individuals harbor M.TB.  This is 400-times the rate associated with the general public

• Chronic infections (Diabetes mellitus, lung damage)

• Previous exposure to mycobacterial infection

• Elderly/prisoners

Diagnosis

1. Radiographic procedures

The initial suspension often based on abnormal chest radiographic findings. The upper-lobe infiltrates and cavities in a patient with active tuberculosis. In the era of aids, no radiographic pattern can be considered pathognomonic.

2. Direct microcopy

Presumptive diagnosis is commonly based on AFB. Specimen: sputum, gastric washings, urine, pleural fluid, CSF, joint fluid, biopsy material, blood, and etc. early morning sputum specimens collected on 3 consecutive days, from a deep productive cough, give the best results.

3. Tuberculin skin test

Principle: detects delayed type hypersensitivity response to previous exposure of the host to tubercle bacilli.

Haw to treatment mycobacterium tuberculosis

Two aims of tuberculosis treatment are to interrupt tuberculosis transmission to prevent morbidity and mortality.  Effective regimens must contain multiple drugs to reduce toxicity and resistance usually treated with four different antimicrobial agents for a course that lasts from 6-9 months. Prolonged treatment: There is a slow response of TB treatment and it should be continued for 6-12 months (DOTs = 6-8 months). This is because:  Most bacilli are found intracellular, the caseous material interfere with the drug.  In chronic lesions TB bacilli are not dividing, i.e. "metabolically inactive", hence resistant to drugs.

Haw to prevention TB

•        General measures: pasteurization of milk

•        Case detection and prompt treatment

•        Treatment of latent tuberculosis – individual at high risk of developing active disease.  

Conclusion

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is that it is a pathogenic bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, a major global health problem. Effective control depends on early detection, appropriate antibiotic treatment, vaccination, and public health awareness to prevent transmission and drug resistance.