Wednesday, July 28, 2010

How has Mycobacterium Tuberculosis [TB] evolved to become such a successful pathogen

How has Mycobacterium Tuberculosis [TB] evolved to become such a successful pathogen?

Biology - 1 Answers
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1 :
M. tuberculosis Comes from the genus Mycobacterium,which is composed of approximately 100 recognized and proposed species. The most familiar of the species are Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae(Leprosy)(Page 576;Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology, Mahon, Lehman, Manuselis). M. tuberculosis appears to be genetically diverse. A genetic diversity results in significant phenotypic differences between clinical isolates. M. tuberculosis exhibits a biogeographic population structure and different strain lineages are associated with different geographic regions. Phenotypic studies suggest that this strain variation never has implications for the development of new diagnostics and vaccines. Micro-evolutionary variation affects the relative fitness and transmission dynamics of antibiotic-resistant strains. In other words it evolved over time and has successfully changed enough to fight every vaccine and still be the classical TB virus/pathogen

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Saturday, July 24, 2010

do i have to worry about having tuberculosis

do i have to worry about having tuberculosis?
i just received results from my TB skin test and it came back positive. the doctor said that i should have a chest x-ray to see if i actually have TB. i am curious, should i worry? as far as i know now is it serious? what are the chances of having active TB now that i've been exposed to it?
Infectious Diseases - 3 Answers
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1 :
If you're not having symptoms, it's possible that have latent TB. It still needs to be treated. The chest X-ray will conclude if you have active TB. The definitive test is the sputum AFB. This test will determine if you have TB at all and require any form of treatment.
2 :
i had TB when i was four and that was 16 years ago and i still test positive when they take a skin test. the x ray will determine if yours is active and if so treatment will start. it can be serious but its not like way back when when it killed everybody. for my treatment i had to take a horrible tasting syrup for 9 months and could not miss one day. if you just got exposed you probly have it.
3 :
tuberculosis is the disease which can occur in lungs,skin,bones and even brain.so it depends upon ur symptoms where the exact disease originated.Usually lungs are more prone to get tb infection. common test includes raised ESR in blood and MANTOUX test positive in skin are common for tb infection originating from any part of the body. T o rule out the exact origin of the tb further investigations are required and it depends upon the symptoms at present ur having.if ur having more cough then x ray is needed and sputum AFB is needed,if you have pain in any bony part then xray of particular bone is needed,so all depends upon ur symptoms further investigation are done. as treatment is considered no need to panic at all,lot of medicines are there to cure tb.Only thing is diagnose as early as possible and treat continually till all your test become negative

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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Why is there joint deformity in tuberculosis

Why is there joint deformity in tuberculosis?
what is the exact pathological process behind it? I went through my ortho book but the exact reason for the cause of bone deformity is not given. So anyone out there knows it.
Infectious Diseases - 3 Answers
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1 :
TB can cause a septic arthritis, I've seen a couple cases in the hip, and joint deformities secondary to that process. It can also cause a wicked osteomyelitis/septic arthritis in the spine - pott's disease.
2 :
Yes because bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a very gooey bacteria that grows very slowly. Sometime its introduces into your body via eyes or sinuses as well as lungs. almost anything considered mucosa membrane. Its a very hard bug to fight because it grows very slowly and is very gooey .They will try to work there way to the bones and joints throw the lymphatic system. When the white cells macrophage the bacillus it doesn't kill it What it does it just contains the bacillus. If the immune system is compromised the bacillus gets lose in those areas. The deformity of the bones is then caused by the calcification of the bug I think. Not sure of the pathological process. to much research right now. Remember hunch back of notre dame. Allmost the same bug Mycobacterium leprea(lepracy) Red light thearpy work very well
3 :
Any infection of the bone will cause visible deformity -- if left untreated long enough. It is not a unique property of mycobacteria, just a testament to the chronicity of the infection. Remember that for someone to have any clinical symptoms of TB osteomyelitis their infection MUST have been present for 6 months or longer - probably years in most cases. If you have a strep or staph infection on a bone for 6 months - the bones are incredibly hypertrophied and moth-eaten . A typical diabetic foot infection left untreated for that long will present with a toe that looks like a huge sausage. So it's not anything special about the mycobacterium, just the fact that the infection has been present for so long prior to diagnosis. Any source of chronic inflammation in the bone is going to cause increased osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity that results in increased bony remodeling

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Friday, July 16, 2010

What rights do I have if one of my patients gave me Tuberculosis

What rights do I have if one of my patients gave me Tuberculosis?
I work at a doctors office.
Infectious Diseases - 4 Answers
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1 :
Fortunately, there are effective medications for it. All doctors are exposed to TB beginning in med school. Negative TB skin tests are positive in most students by the senior year. Those are all the rights you have.
2 :
Depends on your work place policy regarding whether or not you needed to be immunised against this. You would need to prove that they were negligent and failed in their duty of care to you by knowing that you could come into contact with a person with TB. You need to prove that the TB you have has been directly caused from this patient and not a pre-existing condition you already had. Anybody who works in a place where they come into contact with people with contagious diseases should be offered immunisation.
3 :
Hi. This is a little bit complicated. As a healthcare worker, the patient, disease prevention and control is your responsibility. Its also your responsibility to protect yourself from infections. Thats why there are all sorts of protective equipment for the healthcare workers.(Gloves, masks, gowns, eye protection). The patient has no legal obligations in this matter. If you worked with the patient then i think you should have known that he had TB and taken steps to protect yourself and the general public. Thats the liability of being a health care provider. Unless the patient intentionally gave you something, then you cant do anything. They are protected by the patients bill of rights and the ethical and professional code of conduct for the healthcare provider. The other csenario is that you could have put other patients at risk for exposing yourself to a known TB case without the right protective equipment. I think that would be termed as negligence.
4 :
In most courtiers, if a patient behaves irresponsibly or is suspected to he will be isolated. In south Africa he is free to infect the entire south Africa and nothing may be done

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Monday, July 12, 2010

My mom has been diagnosed with tuberculosis

My mom has been diagnosed with tuberculosis?
she got checked today and it came out positive, she is gonna start the medication, what are the chances of her dying? shes 42 and what are the chances of my family getting it since we live in a small house.
Respiratory Diseases - 2 Answers
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1 :
My guess is that your mom is testing positive for TB and doesn't have active TB (she would be in the hospital in a reverse air room). This just means that she is testing positive to the disease. She may never have active TB. If she takes all the medication the likely hood is slim that it would become active. I work in a hospital and many of the workers test positive. She will just have to pay attention to any sudden weight loss, a lingering cough, fevers of unexplained origin. She should go to her local health department and get some information.
2 :
Most people do not die from tuberculosis because there are medications for this. The problem is, a lot of people stop their medication too soon because they are feeling better and it is a pain to remember to take this stuff every single day and then, the tuberculosis comes back because it was inadequately treated and she has to start all over again with the year of medications. You can go to WebMd and type in tuberculosis and read all about this disease

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Thursday, July 8, 2010

How can tuberculosis treat at home

How can tuberculosis treat at home?
i am sick please help me I'm just only 11 years old. how can i treat this at home without taking medicines or going to the doctor?
Respiratory Diseases - 3 Answers
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1 :
I am sorry ... you cannot treat yourself at home with home remedies Mycobacterium is a disease that must be treated with a medicinal regimen
2 :
Hi you cannot treat TB at home and without going to a doctor how do you know that you have this disease? Also it is infectious so you would need to protect other members of your family from getting it. Go and see your doctor straight away to check this out.
3 :
If you have TB, you MUST take your medications or you can be arrested and forcibly medicated

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Sunday, July 4, 2010

What are the chances of catching tuberculosis from my best friend? please answer!

What are the chances of catching tuberculosis from my best friend? please answer! :)?
I just found out that my best friend has tb, and has had it for years before I even met her. What are the chances of me getting it? How bad is it that we have shared drinks a lot? thanks! So if you were treated for it you would always still test positive? Does that mean you wouldn't be able to get certain jobs?
Infectious Diseases - 4 Answers
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1 :
You should get a TB test (its a simple skin test) and let the doctor know about your exposure.
2 :
Ditto what the other answer said, but it also depends whether they have -active- TB. If it isn't active, it isn't contagious. If it is active, it is highly contagious and airborne and she needs to be treated ASAP, not only for her sake but for the entire community you live in. But many people have been exposed to TB or have had TB and have been treated. They're still considered "positive" for TB, and will always have to be vigilant for any recurrence of the disease, but you can't catch it from them then.
3 :
She has, or at least had TB. Was she activley treated with antibiotics? If so you are both fine. For the record, the way people are tested for TB is sorta a one time deal. If you test positive once you will ALWAYS test positive. The reason for this is because the test measures your immune response to TB and that is what is injected into your skin (yes the virus is dead beforehand). So if you were tested for TB again, after an already positive result, you will continue to have positives for a very long time.
4 :
If it is not active she is not contagious. She would test positive if she ever tested positive before so she should not get skin tests. But if she does not have active TB she should not be excluded from work or school

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Is tuberculosis considered a non-painful disease because I am analyzing a scene and I don't think it was

Is tuberculosis considered a non-painful disease because I am analyzing a scene and I don't think it was?

Respiratory Diseases - 1 Answers
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1 :
Remember your doing alot of coughing with this disease. Coughing up blood. It can be a painful disease if not treated

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