Research Essay TB returning
This paper will discuss the disease tuberculosis (TB), otherwise known as consumption. This disease was one of the great killers of the 19th century, a pandemic that swept across the western world. Now, unfortunately, it is beginning to return. This paper will discuss the reasons why it has resurged in the 21st century. I’ll talk about the history of the disease, how it affects people, the treatment used by doctors both historically and now, the possible worldwide implications of another TB pandemic and attempt to provide reasons why this terrible disease is coming back.
Cause, Symptoms and History of TB
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Respirable droplets generated during forceful expiratory actions, such as coughing, transmit TB from person to person. Most infections carry no symptoms and are inactive, however about one in ten latent infections will eventually lead to the active disease (Skolnik, 2011). If TB is left untreated it kills more than fifty percent of people who are unfortunate enough to carry the infection (Kumar and Robbins, 2007).
The most common strain of TB affects the lungs and is referred to as pulmonary TB. The symptoms of this include coughing up blood, fever, loss of appetite and weight loss. This is however not the only form of TB, there is also extrapulmonary TB which can affect any part of the human body. Extrapulmonary TB is more common in children and those people with a reduced immune system (Kumar and Robbins, 2007). Extrapulmonary TB is common in almost 50% of those people suffering with HIV, however I will discuss the association of HIV with TB later in the paper.
Tuberculosis is in no way a recent disease. It has been around for thousands of years. The earliest detection that we have of the disease is from a bison that dated back 17,000 years ago (Rothschild, Martin and Lev 2001). It is unclear whether or not TB was transferred from bovine to
Cause, Symptoms and History of TB
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Respirable droplets generated during forceful expiratory actions, such as coughing, transmit TB from person to person. Most infections carry no symptoms and are inactive, however about one in ten latent infections will eventually lead to the active disease (Skolnik, 2011). If TB is left untreated it kills more than fifty percent of people who are unfortunate enough to carry the infection (Kumar and Robbins, 2007).
The most common strain of TB affects the lungs and is referred to as pulmonary TB. The symptoms of this include coughing up blood, fever, loss of appetite and weight loss. This is however not the only form of TB, there is also extrapulmonary TB which can affect any part of the human body. Extrapulmonary TB is more common in children and those people with a reduced immune system (Kumar and Robbins, 2007). Extrapulmonary TB is common in almost 50% of those people suffering with HIV, however I will discuss the association of HIV with TB later in the paper.
Tuberculosis is in no way a recent disease. It has been around for thousands of years. The earliest detection that we have of the disease is from a bison that dated back 17,000 years ago (Rothschild, Martin and Lev 2001). It is unclear whether or not TB was transferred from bovine to
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