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What type of disease is Tuberculosis?
- An INFECTIOUS disease-
- It can affect any part of the body, but is usually found in the lungs AS THESE ARE THE FIRST SITE OF INFECTION
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How many people does TB kill every year?
2 million people
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TB is caused by 1 of 2 rod-shaped BACTERIA, what are they called?
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis OR Mycobacterium Bovis <-- found in cattle
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What are the symptoms of Pulmonary Tuberculosis?
- - Persistent cough
- - Tiredness (fatigue)
- - Shortness of breath
- - lack of appetite-which leads to weight loss
- - fever
- - When the disease develops-coughing up blood.
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How is Pulmonary Tuberculosis spread?
- Through the air by droplets
- they are released into the air when the infected person coughs, sneezes, laughs or even talks.
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Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is a RESISTANT bacterium, but how long can it survive?
Several weeks
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As it takes frequent contact with a person with TB to contract the disease, which people are at most risk?
Family and close friends- not just people in the street.
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Who else is at greater risk of getting TB?
People who are from countries where TB is common, and people with REDUCED IMMUNITY
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Who are those with reduced immunity?
- The very young or very old
- Those with AIDSThose with OTHER medical conditionsThe malnourishedThe homelessAlcoholics and injected-drug users
- In these case, TB is an OPPORTUNISTIC DISEASE
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Once the Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been inhaled by someone not immune to it it takes this course....The bacteria grow and divide in the UPPER regions of the lungs...WHY?
There is a plentiful supply of OXYGEN in the upper regions of the lungs.
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When the body's immune system responds to the TB bacterium, what do the WHITE BLOOD CELLS do??
They accumulate at the site of infection as INGEST the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
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As a result of the immune response, what happens to the lymph nodes?
They ENLARGE and get INFLAMED.
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What does this inflammation and enlargement of the lymph nodes lead to?
It drains that area of the lungs.
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What is this called (the drainage of that area of the lungs due to the enlargement and inflammation of the lymph nodes)?
The primary infection-and. it usually occurs in kids
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In HEALTHY people, how long does it take for the infection to be CONTROLLED?
- a FEW WEEKS.
- BUT...some bacteria usually remain.
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What is POST-PRIMARY tuberculosis?
When the bacteria RE-EMERGES many years later and causes a SECOND INFECTION of TB. (usually occurs in adults)
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What is the course of infection for post-primary TB?
Its also arises in the upper regions of the lungs, HOWEVER, it is not so easily controlled because the bacteria DESTROY THE TISSUE OF THE LUNGS
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What is the result of the lung tissue being destroyed?
It results in CAVITIES, and where the lungs repair itself, SCAR TISSUE
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What could happen if the TB doesn't get treated?
It could spread to the rest of the body and can be FATAL.
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What is the MAIN biological PREVENTATIVE measure against TB?
Vaccination- children in the UK are routinely tested for their immunity to TB.
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Giving Vaccination to people who are ALREADY IMMUNE to TB is dangerous and uneccessary.
What are those people who are NOT immune to TB given in their vaccine?
A weakened strain of MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS
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Why a weakened strain of Mycobacterium Bovis?
Weakening the bacteria means that it is LESS LIKELY to cause the SYMPTOMS of TB
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There are social and economic measures that can be introduced to REDUCE THE NO' OF TB CASES...what are they?
- Better education about TB -especially the importance of completing the whole drug course.
- MORE and BETTER housing
- better HEALTH facilities and TREATMENT.
- better nutrition (so that peoples immune systems don't weaken as a result of poor nutrition)
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What is another means of controlling TB?
Drug treatment
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What is often the problem with drug treatment?
- They have to be taken for a long period (6-9 months)
- also, the development of strains of M. Tuberculosis that no longer respond to drugs.
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Despite all these measures, there has been a RECENT INCREASE in the no' of cases of TB in many developing countries, why?
- Because .....
- spread of HIV
- strains of M. Tuberculosis that don't respond to drugs
- no' of people living rough
- larger proportion of elderly people in the population
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