Tuberculosis (TB), a deadly contagious disease is among the three major infectious killers that causes high mortality and morbidity, worldwide.1 Tuberculosis infects one-third of the world's population with an estimated 8.7 million new cases and 1.4 million deaths every year (WHO, 2012)2. Tuberculosis prevention has become more complex due to increased resistance against different antibiotics including rifampicin.3
TB is a socio-economic disaster that is occurring worldwide, especially in Asia and Africa.4 Pakistan is ranked 6th in terms of estimated number of the tuberculosis cases by World Health Organization (WHO) among high burden countries.5It is the second leading cause of adult death in impoverished communities of Pakistan.6
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the main causative organism which attacks the lungs but can also infect other organs of the body. M.tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen that is highly adapted to human.7The bacterium spread primarily through aerosolized infectious particles generated from coughing and sneezing by individuals with pulmonary tuberculosis and less commonly via skin wounds 8. The most important factors influencing the current TB epidemic in resource poor setting are closely related to malnutrition, overcrowded living conditions and lack of access to free or affordable health care services.9
Early diagnosis of tuberculosis is essential in limiting the spread of mycobacterium tuberculosis infection due to primary route of infection in humans. Sputum smear microscopy has remained the corner stone of TB diagnosis in the global strategy to control the disease. 10 The global targets for TB control, adopted by World Health Assembly, are to cure 85% of the newly detected smear positive T...
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...istics of diagnostic accuracy of ELISA have been also reported in different studies. 22,23
As far as serology in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is concerned, different studies regarding antibodies detection in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis have shown good results with high sensitivity and specificity.24
In a study for comparison of conventional method AFB smear with PCR technique for detection Tuberculosis conducted in Sudan at 2004 , showed microscopic sensitivity was 65% and the specificity was 90.5%,Whereas sensitivity of PCR was 88.5% and specificity was 98.6 %.They concluded that though PCR sensitivity was 13.1% higher than smear microscopy .25
In a recent study, the diagnostic role of XpertMTB/RIF demonstrated sensitivities of 98.2% and 72.5% with smear-positive and negative TB, respectively. The tests specificity was 99.2% in patients without Tuberculosis. 26
Paul Farmer was born in Massachusetts in 1959, went to Harvard Medical School, became a doctor, and ended up living and working in Haiti. He co-founded an organization in 1987 called Partners in Health (PIH). The philosophy behind the organization is that everyone, no matter who or where has a right to health care. Paul Farmer and PIH have already made amazing progress in Haiti, Peru, and several other countries, helping people get the care they need. PIH’s website lists a detailed history of they and Farmer’s work in Haiti. When Paul Farmer first came to Cange, Haiti as a medical student in 1983, the place was in shambles. In 1956, a dam was built on the Artibonite River, flooding the village and forcing the residents to move up into the hills. Many of these displaced villagers were still essentially homeless after nearly thirty years, and had little access to quality health care. With the founding of the Zanmi Lasante clinic later in 1983, Farmer and his friend Ophelia Dahl set the people of Cange on the road to recovery by providing access to doctors, medicine, and emergency care, all completely free. (“Partners”) One of Farmer’s focuses was on tuberculosis (TB) and has had much success on this front. Through new studies and methods such as active case finding and community health workers, as well as his work with multidrug-resistant TB, Paul Farmer has revolutionized treatment of tuberculosis in Haiti and around the world.
One of the largest epidemic events in history, the Bubonic Plague had a devastating effect on European society. It is believed to have begun in China, and it reached European soil in 1347, when it struck Constantinople (Document 1). It was carried by infected fleas that spread the disease between humans and rats. A symptom of the plague was the development of large, dark swellings called “buboes” on the victim’s lymph nodes. By the time the plague left, Europe’s population had been reduced by almost half. The devastation as a result of the plague may seem shocking, but there were several important factors that contributed to its deadliness.
The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague and Bubonic Plague, was a catastrophic plague that started out in Asia and began to spread into Europe. In the span of three years, the Black Death killed about one third of all the people in Europe. The plague started out in the Gobi Dessert in Mongolia during the 1320’s. From the desert the plague began to spread outwards in all directions. China was among the first to suffer from the plague in the early 1330s before the plague hit Europe.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) is a slender, rod-shaped, aerobic bacillus which causes tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborn infection which is transmitted via inhaling droplet nuclei circulating in the air. These droplets are expelled from the respiratory secretion of people who have active TB through coughing, sneezing, and talking (Porth, 2011). Some bacilli stay in the upper airway and are swept out by mucus-secreting goblet cells and cilia on the surface of the airway. Others will escape from this protective mechanism to travel and settle down at alveoli (Porth, 2011). Local inflammatory reaction occurs and macrophages are cells that act as next line defense mechanism to fight with mycobacteria. First they engulf micobacteria, try to reduce their strength and ability, and kill them. In the same way they send antigen to helper T lymphocytes to initiate a cell-mediated immune response (Knechel, 2009). The infected macrophages will send produced cytokines and enzymes to breakdown mycobacteria’s protein. It is the released cytokines that attract T ly...
Active TB patients are IGRA positive and are symptomatic. The granuloma model: macrophages get infected in non-activated macrophages, necrosis occurs, lymphocytes also activate macrophages. MTB continue to grow and spread. The tubercles bexome liuqified and extracellular bacterial growth ensue, releases liquifed caseous material into the bronchiole causes causing and this can be transmitted tooter people.
One of the first steps to treating Tuberculosis is identifying which form has developed in the body. The two forms that could progress in the body are latent Tuberculosis infection and active Tuberculosis infection (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). Latent Tuberculosis is the dormant form of the bacteria, meaning that it is inactive and doesn?t cause an infectious reaction in the body. Even if the latent form enters the body, treatment should be sought (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). Latent Tuberculosis can become active Tuberculosis easily though, especially if the immune system is compromised by another infection, like HIV (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). Active Tuberculosis infects the body immediately. Symptoms show in the body meaning the bacteria is effecting the cells of the body. Identifying the form is important because treatment is dependent upon it. Testing for TB involves a skin test, usually within seven work-days of contact with the bacteria. Without knowing what is in the body, the drugs won?t be as effective and might even cause drug-resistance.
been infected with TB germs. This does not mean he or she has TB disease. You
According to World Health Organization, the statics show that: - The world needs 17 million more health workers, especially in Africa and South East Asia. - African Region bore the highest burden with almost two thirds of the global maternal deaths in 2015 - In Sub-Saharn Africa, 1 child in 12 dies before his or her 5th birthday - Teenage girls, sex workers and intravenous drug users are mong those left behind by the global HIV response - TB occurs with 9.6 million new cases in 2014 - In 2014, at least 1.7 billion people needed interventions against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) (“Global Health Observatory data”, n.d.) B. A quote of Miss Emmeline Stuart, published in the article in
The bubonic plague was a horrifying plague that wiped out about 1/3 of the world’s population. The bubonic plague travelled very quickly but some question what it was that caused it to travel so quickly. In analyzing the fact that infectious droplets, human choices and trade were all major factors of the spread, one can conclude that humans had a major impact on the spread of the Bubonic Plague.
Primary tuberculosis is the initial infection of the host, usually being mild and asymptomatic. A healthy person recently infected with the mycobacterium may exhibit flu-like symptoms and has no reason to suspect tuberculosis. Left untreated, the bacilli infect and multiply within pulmonary alveolar macrophages, migrating to the hilar lymph nodes. An immune response is exhibited by the T-helper cells, and inflammation develops at multiple sites. A person may test positive in the tuberculin skin test at this point, and a chest x-ray may shows opacities in the lungs.
Wines, M. 2007. Virulent TB in South Africa may imperil millions. New York Time. January 8. Accessed online at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/world/africa/28tuberculosis.html?pagewanted=all
In Australia in the last ten years more then 137 known people have died and many more fallen very ill from contagious and infectious disease. Diseases such as diphtheria; tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps rubella and Haemophilus influenzae, This is a great tragedy considering all these diseases are easily preventable by immunisation.
Infection rates of TB are high, especially when in frequent or close contact with individuals with active TB. One study estimates an infection rate of about 22% and a diagnosis with positive sputum smear is the strongest indicator of infectiousness. 19 However, contrary to common belief, sputum smear-negative patients are also infectious, with a study in San Francisco attributing 17% of transmissions to such cases. 20
7.) Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR , William C.. Tuberculosis Skin Test. 18 Sept 2005 MedicineNet, Inc.. 23 July 2006 .
... about Pakistan, where I live there very less hospitals at the moment which provide proper care to patients and if the hospital beds would be full of such patients then other people whose diseases can be cured would not be treated properly.