Tuberculosis Case Study Essay

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most lethal infectious disease among worldwide. This disease is known as white plague and as infected individuals for centuries. It was not until the mid 1800s that people discovered that the mode of transmission was spread from person to person, and not hereditary.1 During this time scientists found that TB was contagious and was caused by a specific bacterium. Although, treatment for TB would be introduced over 50 years later, and people who suffered with TB would usually die in their home. After drug therapy was established the rates of TB declined considerably. The reduced rates of TB only lasted until the 1980s where public health efforts did not have enough funding to manage TB programs.1 In 2013 the reported number of individuals who acquired TB was approximately 9 million with 1.5 million cases resulting in death from the disease.2,3 While TB is found in all areas of the the world of those who developed TB in 2013 more that 50% was located in Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions.2 TB is a global health burden with a high death rates given that most TB deaths can be prevented. The Millennium Development Goals aim to contest the TB …show more content…
These tests are the tuberculin skin test (Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test) and TB blood tests(Interferon-Gamma Release Assay). These two test cannot determine if a person is in the latent period or if they have developed TB.5 Treatment used for TB include a six to nine month series of antibiotic drugs such as isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol with more being presented if the TB is multidrug resistant.5,7 It is extremely important that individuals take the prescribed drugs as specified so that TB will not become resistant.5 There is currently a vaccine called M. bovis (BCG) that is being used in different countries to try and promote immunity, but the efficacy of this vaccine is