I'm sure many of you are familiar w/ the abbreviation 'TB'. Before you say you are, let me say this: "I'm not making a reference to 'Taco Bell' nor am I using a shorthand for 'text back', lol. How many of you have no clue of what I'm talking about now? lol. I tell you...there are so many different meanings behind some of these abbreviations. With that being said, I can't blame you if you chose either of those answers lol.
Anyways, the 'TB' I was referring to is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria. Now... Does that spark any ligthbulbs? Anybody want to take a shot on what it may be...anyone? Perhaps the grey bearded gentleman w/ the beautiful yet significantly younger female by his side (insert laughs) I'm sorry sir, didn't mean to offend you but I'm curious... you couldn't find any women within your age bracket. I'm just saying though lmao.
Alright, all jokes aside. This evening I'm going to talk to you about Tuberculosis. As stated previously, it is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs (as pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, the gastrointestinal system, bones, joints, and even the skin.
Tuberculosis is spread through the air, when people who have the disease cough, sneeze, or spit. Most infections in human beings will result in asymptomatic, latent infection, and about one in ten latent infections will eventually progress to active disease, which, if left untreated, kills more than half of its victims. The classic symptoms of tuberculosis are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Infection of other organs causes a wide range of symptoms.
The diagnosis relies on radiology (commonly chest X-rays), a tuberculin skin test, blood tests, as well as microscopic examination and microbiological culture of bodily fluids. Tuberculosis treatment is difficult and requires long courses of multiple antibiotics. Contacts are also screened and treated if necessary. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in (extensively) multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. Prevention relies on screening programs and vaccination, usually with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG vaccine).
With that being said, researchers at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research are planning on creating a new drug delivery system that uses nano particles to seek out TB-infected cells and release anti-TB drugs w/ the hopes of shortening the amount of time required to treat TB while reducing the side effects of treatment. This is important b/c the long course of TB treatment (clients have to take drugs for 6 mths) is a major obstacle to treatment success and a cause of dangerous drug-resistant strains of the disease. In addition, new infections occur at a rate of one per second. The proportion of people in the general population who become sick with tuberculosis each year is stable or falling worldwide but, because of population growth, the absolute number of new cases is still increasing. Therefore, it's important that we battle 'TB' head-on and continue to treat this disease in its early stages as opposed to later on in the disease process. Do you agree?
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