Tuberculosis
By: Mallory Martin
Tuberculosis is also known as Consumption.
What Causes This Disease?
A disease caused by a bacterium. Which is known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs. Tuberculosis was once the leading deaths of America.
How Does Tuberculosis Affects The Body?
It can affect several organs throughout the body including the brain, kidneys, and the bones. It usually affects the lungs. The first stage of tuberculosis normally last for several months.
Side Effects
Symptoms of Tuberculosis may include
- A bad cough that can last for up to three weeks.
- Pain in the chest
- Coughing up blood
- Weakness or fatigue
- Weight Loss
- No appetite
- Chills
- Fever
Infectious Or Non-Infectious?
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that attacks primarily the lungs and can be spread from person to person through the air.
Treatments
Tuberculosis can be treated by taking drugs fro nine to ten months. Some o the top recommended drugs to be prescribed are
- Isoniazid
- Rifampin
- Ethambutol
- Pyrazinamide
- It's important that people sick to their medicine and don't stop taking them because if they do it could cause them to get sick again.
Famous People That Have Had and/or Died Of Tuberculosis
Writer/Poet- Edgar Allen Poe 1809-1849
German Dictator- Adolf Hitler 1889-1945
American Humanitarian/First lady- Eleanor Roosevelt 1884-1962
English Novelist/Poet- Emily Bronte 1818-1849
The Dilemma
Scientist are trying to keep up with the changing virus and bacteria that Tuberculosis contains.
Solution
Scientist should learn how the virus is changing/mutating. Then figure out a way to cure the damage to the lungs caused by Tuberculosis because Tuberculosis targets the lungs more than any of the other body parts in our bodies.
Prognosis
If the patient receives immediate medical attention after first few signs of Tuberculosis than the outlook is pretty good as long as the patient takes the medication throughout the whole recovery process. If not given proper treatment death would come within a couple of months or weeks. Babies, The elderly, and people with low immune systems are the most at risk for severe sickness.