Tuberculosis and its Cure

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Tuberculosis is a preventable and usually curable disease, yet it is still second only to AIDS as the largest and most deadly killer in the world. The Tuberculosis Complex includes the species, Mycobacterium bovis, which is almost eradicated and infects cattle, Mycobacterium africanum, which is usually only found in Northwest Africa, Mycobacterium microti, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis which is the most common form of Tuberculosis in humans. Tuberculosis comes from the Greek word that means “to consume,” and it is a fitting name because the bacterium infects the kidneys, spine, and brain through the lymph nodes and bloodstream. The bacterium can remain dormant in a body for years without being contagious or causing any symptoms, but then it can suddenly activate and cause the host to become sick and unknowingly spread the disease. Tuberculosis needs a large population to really thrive, so it is mainly spread in workplaces, prisons, dormitories, nursing homes, and busy cities. Many think that Tuberculosis only affects people in third-world countries, but it can infect anyone, and will prove to be fatal in most cases if not treated immediately and properly. People with HIV or weakened immune systems, such as the elderly and children are more susceptible to Tuberculosis than those with normal immune systems. Tuberculosis is spread through the air when the person that is infected with in the lungs, coughs, sings, sneezes, or talks. When people are nearby him or her, they become infected. However, it is not spread by kissing or sharing saliva in any way, because the bacteria are not present in saliva. They are only present in phlegm coughed up from the lungs.
When Tuberculosis bacteria are inhaled into the body, they are d...

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...ent is expensive, so it is not attainable for people of all economic classes. For countries where Tuberculosis is more common, BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) vaccine is given to infants because it can prevent extreme Tuberculosis in children. In the early 1900s, Albert Calmette and Camille Guerin created a strain of Mycobacterium bovis which did not mutate to one that could cause disease. The vaccine is not recommended for use in the United States though because it is not highly effective in adults. It may also cause a false positive tuberculin skin test. It was created Although researchers have been working hard to find an effective vaccine for years, HIV/AIDS has been the priority. Fortunately, Tuberculosis death rate has dropped 45% from 1990 to 2012, and it seems that the Millennium Development Goal to stop the spread to Tuberculosis by 2015 is possible.

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