• Tuberculosis (TB), also called Koch’s disease is caused by rod-shaped, Gram +ve bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

• The bacterium releases a toxin, tuberculin which destroys the organs it infects.

• It can affect almost any tissue or organ in the body like the lungs, lymph nodes, brain, bones and joints but disease of the lung is by far the most frequent.

Mode of transmission of Tuberculosis

• Incubation period is 3 to 6 weeks or maybe years.

• It spreads through sneezing, coughing, contaminated food and water.

Symptoms of Tuberculosis

• Constant cough and in severe cases sputum with blood, pain in chest while coughing, loss of body weight, failure of appetite, slight rise of temperature in the evening are the symptoms of lung T. B.

• Sputum, tuberculin, X-ray and gastric analysis are carried out to diagnose tuberculosis.

• Tuberculin test is also called Mantoux test.

Prevention and treatment of Tuberculosis

• BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin) vaccine for TB was obtained from bovine bacillus by Calmette and Guerin in 1921.

• Before giving vaccination to any individual it is important to check if they are already suffering from TB or have recovered from it.

• The test is to puncture the skin with a special instrument which has a ring of six short needles (the Heaf test). This introduces tuberculin, purified from dead tubercle bacilli.

• In the absence of past or present TB the skin shows no reaction, but if an individual has the

disease or has recovered, then the skin swells and reddens at the injection site. This indicates a substantial immunity and no vaccine is offered.

• Some of the anti-tuberculosis drugs are streptomycin, rifampicin, isoniazid, thiatazone, PAS (Para-aminosalicylic acid) etc.

• Direct observation treatment (DOT) is a programme under WHO for treatment of TB across the world.