Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). It is disseminated through air when persons with active tuberculosis in their lungs cough, spit, speak or sneeze. Tuberculosis affects the lungs in most cases, but it can also affect other parts of the body such as brain, lymphatic system or bones. In the majority of infections, there are no visible symptoms, known as latent tuberculosis. Chronic cough with bloody mucus, fever, night sweats and weight loss are all common symptoms of active tuberculosis. It is diagnosed by chest X-rays and culture of bodily fluids. The tuberculin skin test (TST) or blood tests are used for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis. Multiple antibiotics must be used over a long period of time to treat this infection. Antibiotic resistance is becoming a problem as the number of people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is rising. This book contains some of the path-breaking studies related to tuberculosis. It includes some of the vital pieces of work being conducted across the world on the diagnosis, causes and treatment of this disease. This book will serve as a reference to a broad spectrum of readers.