Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that has been known for hundreds of years. It ‘consumes' the person from the inside leading to death. The bacteria can be spread through inhaling from the sneezes or coughs of an infected individual.   Factors like alcoholism, malnutrition, and the presence of other infections that affect the immune system can raise risks of contracting tuberculosis. Babies and the elderly are two risk groups due to the weak immune system. Tuberculosis mostly affects the lungs but can also affect the bones, womb, brain, skin, uterus, and lymph nodes and can spread to other organs.   The most common symptoms are a persistent cough, drops of blood in the coughed up sputum, fever for many weeks without a visible cause, and weight loss. With the right treatment, an infection can be cured. The most common treatment is a course of antibiotics. Many different antibiotics are necessary to prevent resistance of the bacteria to them. Patients with a drug-resistant infection have to undergo different courses of antibiotics.