Tuberculosis

I chose Tuberculosis as the disease that interests me. The population of interest that I chose is the African population. Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Mycobacterium Tuberculosis normally attacks the lungs however; it has also been known to attack other body parts such as the spine, the brain, or the kidneys. Tuberculosis can kill an infected person if they do not receive the proper treatment.

The Mycobacterium Tuberculosis bacterium causes two types of illness, active or latent. If an individual’s immune system forms a wall around the Tuberculosis Bacteria it makes it virtually impossible for the tuberculosis bacteria to multiply or infect other areas of the body. This type of illness is called Latent Tuberculosis. Individual’s can have latent Tuberculosis for a long time and have no symptoms. However, if an individual has latent Tuberculosis and receives no treatment, the tuberculosis bacteria can eventually become active and the individual will soon begin to experience an increase of sickness. If an individual’s body is unable to fight off the Tuberculosis bacteria and begins showing symptoms, the Tuberculosis is then considered active.

Tuberculosis is spread in the air when people breath in the tuberculosis germs which are called Bacilli. If a person who has Tuberculosis coughs, sneezes, talks, or spits the Bacilli become airborne and when healthy people breath this Bacilli into their lungs they have then been exposed to the bacteria and may end up getting latent or active Tuberculosis. Tuberculosis bacteria can remain airborne for many hours. However, because Tuberculosis is transmitted through droplets from the throat and lungs of infected individual’s, you cannot get Tuberculosis simply by touching an infected person or his or her belongings.

There are many symptoms that an individual may experience when they have active Tuberculosis. These symptoms may include fever, weakness, fatigue,...