Tuberculosis

Patricia E. Porras 80542265 Clinical Study #2 Tuberculosis

CRN: 13104 2311 A&P: Online

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infection caused by the slow growing bacteria, bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis that thrives in environments of high oxygen and blood (Healthwise 2013). It’s normally thought of as an infection of the lungs. However, it can impact other areas of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain (Primal Pictures 2010). World & National Impact: Tuberculosis is a wide-spread, highly communicable disease. TB is second only to HIV/AIDs as the greatest killer worldwide in terms of a single infection microbe (World Health Organization 2014). TB impacts one-third (1/3) of the world’s population. Of the TB cases treated in the United States alone, sixty-four percent (64%) came from outside the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014). The preponderance of those cases sourced from primarily fifteen (15) countries in terms of origin; though, it is not limited to just those fifteen (15) countries. Consequently, it behooves the United States (U.S.) to help these countries, and others, who are riddled with this disease to assist in building infrastructure systems and provide education and supplies. It costs the U.S. less to provide this support than to treat these cases from within our boundaries (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014). The United States is not alone in this battle with Tuberculosis. Of the world’s cases, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa account for the greatest proportion of new cases. In 2012, eight-point-six million (8.6) people fell ill with TB and one-point-three million (1.3) died from TB. The World Health Organization estimates it requires two billion dollars ($2 Billion) annually to fill the resource gaps for implementing it’s existing TB intervention program (World Health Organization 2014). Infection: Tuberculosis is spread by aerosol droplets put into the air by an infected person coughing, sneezing,...