Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious disease caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is spread through person to person contact. TB-spreading bacteria spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs. A total of 1.4 million people died from TB in 2019. Tuberculosis mainly affects the lungs and might lead to death. Two types of tuberculosis are commonly observed, such as latent TB and active TB. In latent tuberculosis, the infected person does not show symptoms, while in active tuberculosis, the infected person shows clinical symptoms. Clinical symptoms of TB include shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, hemoptysis, weight loss, cough, night sweats, and fever.
Based on the symptoms, TB can be classified as military TB, subcutaneous TB, or pulmonary TB. Tuberculosis can be diagnosed using interferon-gamma release assays, polymerase chain reaction tests, or skin tests. Drugs such as rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol are used for the treatment of active TB. Tuberculosis is highly endemic in Mexico, especially among the native Indian populations in southern Mexico and Baja California. In Mexico, most children receive a BCG dose after birth or at their first encounter with the health system. In 2018, a total of 5,429 TB cases were notified in Germany. While, in 2018, a total number of 2,200 people died due to TB in Japan.
Moreover, the Japanese municipalities offer free periodic tuberculosis (BCG) vaccinations for children under the age of one year. No TB vaccine is currently commercially approved; children are vaccinated with Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine (BCG) as a part of a precaution. However, BCG has limited utility and variable efficacy in both children and adults. Many TB vaccines are under clinical development phase, which is expected to reach the market soon. Robert Koch was the first to propose immunotherapy as a defense mechanism against TB. Currently, the only effective tuberculosis vaccine is BCG.
No comments:
Post a Comment