Mycobacterium+tuberculosis

=//Mycobacterium tuberculosis //=  Andrea Lawlor - 09016048 = =

It is a gram-resistant rod shaped bacterium, thus you cannot perform a gram stain on it. Instead to stain this bacteria you must use = = the acid fast stain. //M. tuberculosis// is classified as an acid-fast gram-positive bacteria. This organism was originally known as //Tubercule bacillus//, discovered by Robert Koch in 1882. = = = =  It is thought to have affected over 1.8 billion people in the world, and it is approximated that over 50% of cases are fatal. This is due to these 50% being unable to seek and receive medical attention. (Textbook of Bacteriology, 2011)

It is estimated that in 2009 3.3% of new cases of TB are diagnosed as MDR-TB(Multiple Drug Resistant TB), this number is believed to have risen. (WHO, 2010)

Current Treatments
 Commonly used antibiotics used to treat other pulmonary infections such as clarithromycin can not kill TB. Instead, a combination or several antibiotics taken over a period of 6-9 months must be taken.First stage of treatment involved four different antibiotics taken within the first two months in conjunction with each other. These antibiotics are isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. The second stage is taking a further two antibiotics for a following four months (on a six month treatment) using rifampicin and isoniazid. This treatment may vary depending on severity and availability of drugs dependent on region where the patient is.

 Treatment failure is most commonly due to failure of taking the medication appropriately. It is important to complete the full course of antibiotics even if you are feeling better, this is what leads to the resistant strains of the bacteria which a resistant to the antibiotics taken during the course of treatment. (Patient.co.uk, 2008)

Infection Vs. Disease
Tuberculosis: Infection vs Disease (Textbook of Bacteriology, 2011)
 * TB Infection || TB disease in lungs ||
 * //M. tuberculosis// present || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//M. tuberculosis// present ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Tuberculin skin test positive || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Tuberculin skin test positive ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Chest X-ray normal || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Chest X-ray usually reveals lesion ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sputum smears and cultures negative || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sputum smears and cultures positive ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">No symptoms || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Symptoms such as cough, fever, weight loss ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Not infectious || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Often infectious before treatment ||
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Not defined as a case of TB || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Defined as a case of TB ||

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">References <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Image 1 - http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/MTBCDC.jpg, [Last modified: 21/04/2008] [Accessed14/03/2011] <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Textbook of Bacteriology, [], http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/tuberculosis_2.html, http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/tuberculosis_3.html, [Last Modified 13/02/2011] [Accessed 14/03/2011] <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Patient.co.uk, http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Tuberculosis.htm [Last Modified 20/11/2008] [Accessed 14/03/2011] <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">WHO, 2010/2011 Tuberculosis Global Facts, [Published: November 2010] [Accessed 04/02/2011]