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Tuberculosis ( Tb ) Is A Disease That Affects The Lungs And Other Parts Of The Body

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Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that affects the lungs and other parts of the body. It can be fatal in late cases. TB is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

*Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Stages of TB:
There are two stages of TB the infected patient goes through. The first stage is latent TB infection (LTBI), in this condition the bacteria can live in the body without making it sick, and the infected person can not spread the infection to others. Also, the body is able to fight the bacteria and stop them from growing by develops an immune response that controls the bacteria by walling it off inside the body. Because of the response of the immune system, the bacteria become dormant or asleep. However, if the person …show more content…

Symptoms:
The bacteria that cause tuberculosis is an airborne infection and it is spread through inhalation of droplet nuclei that contain the organism. This occurs when the infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. The symptoms of tuberculosis are two types respiratory and non-respiratory, but the most important symptoms are cough with or without blood, weight loss, night sweat, and fever.
Diagnosis:
TB can be diagnosed with two types of tests: Clinical includes symptoms, signs, chest x ray and skin test. Laboratory diagnosis that contains blood, sputum, and tissue. These tests are used to indicate whether the person has TB bacteria in the body or not, they can not determine if the person has active TB disease or LTBI. Where health care provider may do further investigation to determine the type of TB the person has.
Tuberculin Skin Test:
TB skin test also called a purified protein derivative tests PPD. It is performed by injecting a small amount of PPD solution on the dermis. Also, most people previously infected with TB develop a skin reaction 48 to 72 hours after the PPD solution is injected under the skin. The skin is examined to determine if there is induration. healthcare provider interprets the test as positive or negative based on the size of the induration not redness. However, the result of TB skin test does not tell if the person has active TB or LTBI, it indicates the TB bacteria are in the body. In addition, anyone who has a positive

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