Tuberculosis is caused by the Koch bacillus.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the Koch bacillus and characterized by the appearance of a small nodule called a tubercle . This disease can present in very different ways depending on the affected organ .
It is common for tuberculosis to affect the lungs, although it can also attack the circulatory system, the central nervous system, the bones and the skin , for example. Among the clinical manifestations of tuberculosis are coughing up phlegm and/or blood, fever, dizziness and weight loss.
Tuberculosis spreads through the air. When an affected person coughs or sneezes, they can infect those around them. The most effective form of prevention is vaccination (with the BCG vaccine ) and the tracing and treatment of patients to avoid an epidemic due to contagion.
In honor of the date of the discovery of the tuberculosis bacillus by Dr. Robert Koch , the World Health Organization (WHO) declared March 24 as World Tuberculosis Day .
Types of tuberculosis
Among the different types of this disease, we can mention meningeal tuberculosis (which attacks the meninges), cardiovascular tuberculosis (centered in the heart , pericardium or blood vessels), ophthalmic tuberculosis (infection of the eye), osteoarticular tuberculosis ( lung infection moves to a bone or joint through the bloodstream), genitourinary tuberculosis (which can cause infertility), CNS tuberculosis (in the brain or spinal cord), and miliary tuberculosis (affects several organs due to blood dissemination of the bacillus).
Pulmonary tuberculosis , extrapulmonary tuberculosis , laryngeal tuberculosis and renal tuberculosis are other classifications that are often used.
Anti-tuberculosis treatment is usually developed from the administration of drugs . In certain cases, a surgical treatment can be applied that consists of promoting the collapse of the lung so that the organ can remain at rest.
Vaccination helps prevent severe forms of tuberculosis.
Preventive measures
As with any disease, it is essential to carry out a series of measures to prevent tuberculosis. In this case, the starting point is to pay special attention to personal hygiene .
From the perspective of medicine, those affected must be prevented from exposing those around them to the disease: until a patient has completed the indicated treatment(s), they are responsible for their own well-being and that of their environment. . Living in overcrowded conditions, therefore, makes the situation difficult.
Below are some of the recommended prevention measures:
- It is very important that individuals affected by tuberculosis cover their mouth and nostrils with a disposable tissue every time they cough , thus avoiding the effect known as "aerosol" .
- Wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.
- Adequately ventilate the area in which you reside.
- Carry out a complete cleaning of the home with damp cloths.
- Wear masks when around other people.
- Avoid as much as possible contact with people who do not have the disease.
- Commit to complying with medical instructions.
- Do not smoke, since tobacco consumption promotes the development of tuberculosis.
Public health campaigns on tuberculosis, in this framework, are important. The State must inform the population of prevention measures and promote vaccination.
Streptomycin, ethambutol, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and rifampicin are among the drugs used to treat tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis vaccine
For several decades, the vaccine called BCG has been used in many countries to help control tuberculosis, especially in minors. Its development dates back to the beginning of the 20th century in France , more precisely at the Pasteur Institute . Its peak occurred after the Second World War and it is known that its effectiveness in people under four years of age is around 80%, even against the most worrying forms of tuberculosis; In the rest of the cases, the range goes from absolute ineffectiveness to 80%.
It is worth mentioning that, in Catalonia , a group of experts focused on tuberculosis research is developing an alternative to BCG : the RUTI vaccine, which received this name from the hospital in which it was created.
The history of the disease
The history of tuberculosis dates back at least 10,000 years. In fact, it is noted as one of the first human diseases for which a record is available.
At an undetermined time, bacteria of the Mycobacterium genus managed to overcome biological barriers and began to have a reservoir in animals and then reached people, possibly through wild bovids.
It is believed that, between the end of the 17th century and the end of the 19th century , tuberculosis - also mentioned as the white plague or consumption - reached its greatest extent.