Have TB? Take heart you can be cured

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease brought about by bacteria scientifically known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Its characteristic name is a result of the appearance of the bacteria, which is the shape of a tuber. A German physician, Dr. Robert Koch, discovered the cause of Tuberculosis in 1882. He was awarded a Nobel Prize for this discovery, which was a great milestone in diagnosing and finding a cure for the disease.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one-third of the world’s population is infected with TB. The organisation is making efforts to reduce TB occurrence and death rates by half by 2015.

TB presents itself in various organs in the body. However, the most prevalent form of TB is what is known as Pulmonary Tuberculosis which affects the lungs. A case of TB involving other organs other than the lungs, for example the lymph nodes, abdomen, spine, joints and bones, lining of the brain and spinal cord (meninges) is referred to as Extra- Pulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB).

What happens to the body when a person gets TB?
It is important to note that TB is an airborne disease and a person can become infected with the TB bacteria if she or he inhales particles of infected sputum from the air. According to MedicineNet.com, when a person inhales and the bacteria enter the lungs, they can multiply and cause a local lung infection (Pneumonia). TB can also spread to other parts of the body.

However, the body’s immune system can fight off the infection and stop the bacteria from spreading. It does this by forming a scar tissue (fibrosis) around the TB bacteria and isolating it from the rest of the body. If the body is able to form scar tissue around the bacteria, then the infection is contained in an inactive state, presenting no symptoms. Thus it cannot be spread to other people.

Sometimes the body’s immune system is weakened either by old age, development of other immuno supressing infections such as HIV/Aids and certain medications. The TB bacteria then breaks through the scar tissue and can cause the disease.

Symptoms
The most prevalent form of TB is Pulmonary Tuberculosis. ‘The most common symptom of TB is a productive cough for more than two weeks,’ explains Dr. Miriam Gatehi, a medical practitioner at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

This is generally accompanied by other respiratory symptoms which include shortness of breath, chest pains and/ or constitutional symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, night sweats and fatigue,’ she says adding that if the infection spreads beyond the lungs, the symptoms will depend upon the organs involved.

‘Tuberculosis can be diagnosed in different ways, including chest X-rays, which can reveal evidence of active Tuberculosis Pneumonia and analysis of sputum done under a microscope which can show presence of the Tuberculosis like bacteria,’ says Gatehi.

A World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that the certainty of the diagnosis and laboratory confirmation help in the case definition of TB. It further expounds on the cases of TB which could either be:

• TB Suspect: Any person who presents with symptoms or signs suggestive of TB.
• Case of TB: A definitive case of TB or one in which a health worker has diagnosed TB and has decided to treat TB with a full course of TB treatment.
• Definitive case of TB: A patient with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis complex identified from a clinical specimen.

Treatment
The World Health Organization offers the way to do it through its ‘Treatment of Tuberculosis: Guidelines for National Programmes’, in a bid to curb the problem of TB. The organisation has made major progress in global tuberculosis control which followed the implementation of the DOTS strategy (internationally agreed strategy for TB control). It launched the Stop TB strategy in 2006 which builds upon and enhances the achievement of DOTS.

Treatment for pulmonary TB is normally administered in the form of antibiotics for a period of six months to help prevent the spread of the disease.

Vaccination
A vaccine known as BCG (Bacille Calmette Guerin) is administered throughout many parts of the world. It is believed to be most important in parts of the world where TB is quite common. It is administered at birth and offers protection from developing active Tuberculosis, especially in infants and young children.

Managing TB in Kenya.
According to WHO (2006) statistics on the country profile for TB, the incidence of the disease cases is estimated at 619 per 100,000 people per year. Due to the increased prevalence of HIV/Aids, the number of cases reported to the National Leprosy and Tuberculosis Control  Programme (NTLP) from 1987-2004 increased tenfold from 10,515 to 106,000.

In addition, most TB patients are in the 15 to 35 years age bracket, with 29 per cent of adult TB patients being HIV positive.

However, positive steps are being taken to curb the disease. The government, in conjunction with other local and international organisations, launched ‘TB Ina Tiba’ (TB has a cure) campaign in order to raise awareness on the disease.

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