Tuberculosis: History, Causes and Treatments

 

Today I thought I would write a bit about Tuberculosis (TB) this is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs, although it can also affect organs such as the brain, kidneys and spine. It can be life-threatening without treatment, but it is preventable and curable.

TB has affected people for thousands of years: evidence of infection has been found in human remains around 9,000 years old. In earlier centuries, it was known as “consumption”, referring to the wasting associated with the illness, and as the “white plague

A major turning point came on 24 March 1882, when Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacterium that causes TB. This helped establish the disease’s infectious cause rather than the earlier belief that it was simply inherited. Before antibiotics, patients were often cared for in sanatoriums, where fresh air, good food and sometimes surgery were used; separation from households also reduced transmission to families.

The BCG vaccine was introduced in France in 1921.

Antibiotic treatment marked another breakthrough: streptomycin was developed in 1943, opening the way to drug-based treatment.

TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It spreads through the air when someone with infectious lung TB releases bacteria, for example by coughing; another person can become infected by inhaling them.

Infection does not always mean illness. In latent, or inactive, TB, bacteria remain in the body without causing symptoms, and the person is not contagious. In active TB disease, bacteria multiply and cause illness; lung disease can spread to others. HIV, diabetes, undernutrition, tobacco use and harmful alcohol use increase the risk of developing TB disease.

Common symptoms include a prolonged cough, sometimes with blood, chest pain, fever, night sweats, fatigue and unexplained weight loss. Symptoms may develop gradually. Rapid diagnostic tests can help identify the disease, while skin or blood tests can identify TB infection.

Active TB: Treatment uses a combination of antibiotics. A common six-month course for drug-susceptible lung TB begins with isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol for two months, followed by isoniazid and rifampicin for four months. Selected patients may be eligible for a four-month regimen; others need longer treatment. The choice depends on drug-resistance results, other medical conditions and medicine interactions.

Completing the prescribed course is essential, even when symptoms improve. Missed doses or taking only some of the medicines can allow infection to persist or return and increase the risk of drug resistance. Healthcare support helps people complete treatment. Drug-resistant TB needs different antibiotic combinations and specialist management.

Latent TB: Preventive antibiotic treatment can reduce the chance that inactive infection develops into active disease. It is particularly important for people at increased risk, including those with HIV and close contacts of someone with TB.

Prevention: Early diagnosis and treatment, screening of people at risk, good ventilation and appropriate masks or respirators help limit spread. The BCG vaccine protects children against serious forms of TB, but it does not replace other prevention measures.