Tuberculosis
what is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is an infectious, potentially fatal disease that is caused by bacteria and usually affects the lungs.
How do you get it?
You can get TB by inhaling air that contains droplets contaminated with TB bacteria. Its hard to get, yet hard to avoid when aroud affected people.
Symptoms:
The Symptoms of TB are, Fatigue, Fever, Loss of Appetite, Weight Loss, Night Sweats, Persistent Cough, Chest Pain, and Blood in Sputum.
Prevention:
The best way to prevent TB is to avoid close contact with TB victims, stay healthy to allow body to fight off infection, the BCG vaccination. The BCG vaccination isnt common in the USA but is in most other countries.
Treatment
Antibiotics are the only way of treatment, they must be taken for several months up to two years. They must be taken exactly as prescribed by the doctor.
TB in Africa:
Africa carries 29% of the global tuberculosis cases (NE Journal of Medicine). Its commonly found in Africa because it is an HIV driven disease. The New England journal of medicine states "30-40% of HIV patients die from tuberculosis".
Prevention in Africa:
The struggle to prevent TB in Africa has always been a problem. They cannot get better research, vaccinations, or treatment because of their lack in funding, facilities, personnel, drug supplies, and laboratory capacity.