Tuberculosis is a contagious, potentially fatal infection by the airborne bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, or M. africanum. This paper will look at the disease, its epidemiology, pathogenesis and pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and treatment.
Introduction: Tuberculosis refers to the disease most commonly caused by M. tuberculosis, but occasionally caused by M. bovis or M. africanum. Tuberculosis has been around since ancient times and became a major scourge during the Industrial Revolution, when overcrowding in cities was common (1:885). With the development of the antibiotics streptomycin, isoniazid, ethambutol, and rifampin, the battle against the disease was almost won. The occurrence of tuberculosis began to rise again in the U.S. in the 1980s because of AIDS, combined with overcrowding and unsanitary conditions in urban areas, homeless shelters, and prisons. The problem is worrisome now because some strains of the bacteria have become resistant to the antibiotics used to treat the disease (1:886).
Epidemiology: Tuberculosis is more common among the elderly because: many elderly persons became infected when tuberculosis was more common; aging may reduce the effectiveness of the body's immune system, which can allow dormant bacteria to become reactivated; and elderly people in chronic care facilities are likely to be in close contact with other elderly people at risk of contracting tuberculosis.
The disease is also more common in blacks than in whites, partly because blacks are more likely to live in poverty and partly because of how tuberculosis has evolved. When Europe was ravaged by tuberculosis, white people with a higher resistance to the disease survived and passed on this resistance to future generations. Ancestors of American blacks did not come in contact with the disease until they came to America and came in contact with white people (1:887).
Pathogenesis and Pathophysiolog...