Have you ever heard of tuberculosis (TB)? Well TB is an infectious disease that spreads through the lymph nodes (Bean-shaped masses of tissues located along the course of the lymphatic vessels) and bloodstream to any organ of the body (mostly lungs). It originated 15,000 to 20,000 years ago from ancient Egypt, India, and China. Tuberculosis strikes people of all ages and races and it is one of the leading causes of death.

What Causes TB and How Does It Spread?
The bacteria that causes tuberculosis is the tubercle bacilli, which is a rod-shaped bacteria that can be transmitted via droplets through sneezing, coughing, speaking, and even singing. TB can occur if you inhale the droplets that contain the tubercle bacilli. Victims of tuberculosis are sick from TB germs that are active. They multiply and obliterate the lung tissue in their bodies. There are defending cells called macrophages, which get rid of any foreign organisms before they can harm the body, unfortunately, they fail at attacking the bacilli. Eventually, the multiplying tubercle bacilli burst through the wall and it overwhelms a blood vessel. Then, the tubercle bacilli may spread to other organs of the body.

The Deadly Symptoms
There are symptoms of tuberculosis that are deadly and some of them will most likely lead to death. The symptoms are a dry, persistent cough or lack of energy, chest pain or difficulty breathing, climbing stairs or running, losing weight and appetite, and fever, which leads to night sweats. If a person has a latent (inactive) TB infection, there are no symptoms and they can’t spread it, but they may develop tuberculosis disease in the future. Some severe symptoms are coughing up blood and lesions. Lesions are holes in the lung tissue that consist of approximately 10 billion bacilli, which can destroy the lung.

The American Crisis
In the 1980’s, outbreaks of tuberculosis in USA were exceeding. TB grew dramatically among people who have HIV and drug abusers, also the homelessness. Scientists already developed a drug to prevent TB in 1952 called Isoniazid; which eliminates the activity of one of the TB genes. This gene contains a code that gives the tuberculosis germ the ability to form long chains of fatty acids; these keep the bacilli from being invaded by the body’s defending cells. A method called culturing helps find out which drugs will be most effective against the tubercle bacilli. Scientists will continue to find more drugs and methods to prevent TB.

Conclusion
In conclusion, tuberculosis is a deadly disease that commonly causes death. TB can spread in different ways, which can lead to other people being infected. New drugs and methods are being formed to prevent the spread of tuberculosis. Scientists hope that their knowledge of TB will improve, and further benefit the world.

References

  1. Stewart, Gail B., Great Medical Discoveries, San Diego, Lucent Books, 2002
  2. RR Donnelley, Willard, World Book:T,Ohio, World Book inc.,2010
  3. Understanding Tuberculosis-The basics, WebMD Medical Reference, www.webmd.com/a-to-z guides/understanding-Tuberculosis-basics
  4. Tuberculosis: General Information, Centers for disease control and prevention, www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/general/tb.htm

Josiah Damian