Is tuberculosis still around?

Question

If a person gets it, is it serius or can it be treated easily?

Answer 1

Below is a snip of the table of contents for everything you need to know about TB. Click on the source link below. It is easy to read and understand and is from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia.


Table of Contents

Introduction

* What is TB?
* Why is TB a problem today?
* How is TB spread?
* What is latent TB infection?
* What is active TB disease?

Latent TB Infection

* How can I get tested for TB?
* What if I have a positive test for TB?
* What if I have been vaccinated with BCG?
* If I have latent TB infection, how can I keep from developing active TB disease?
* What if I have HIV infection?

Active TB Disease

* How is active TB disease treated?
* What are the side effects of medicines for TB?
* Why do I need to take TB medicine regularly?
* How can I remember to take my TB medicine?
* What is directly observed therapy?
* How can I keep from spreading TB?
* What is multidrug-resistant TB?

Answer 2

Is Tuberculosis Still Around

Answer 3

Yes, tuberculosis is still around (it can affect several organs but the most common is the lungs). And it is contagious. One way of transmitting pulmonary TB is by droplet infection - through sneezing, coughing. Other ways are using contaminated utensils (spoons, glass, cups) but as long as it was washed with soap and water it is ok. Some people would boil these things just to be safer. It is a serious disease because it can easily be spread but it is also treatable. Unfortunately, there are "multi-resistant" TBs which needs special medicines. Treatment is usually 6 months. A good diet, exercise, and clean environment can be very helpful during the treatment. But mind you, this doesn't mean that only the poor and unkempt gets this disease. There are other diseases more worrying than TB (HIV, alcohol-related dieases, cigarette-related diseases).......unfortunately, this dieasea is associated with poor countries.

Answer 4

Tuberculosis is quite common inside the United States, particularly within certain demographics. Part of the problem is that few people with the disease are identified as such, and treatment takes so long that many individuals who are infected do not follow the course of medications that are prescribed for them- it may take several months to cause TB to cease to be a hazard, and once an individual recovers from the initial cough, they frequently stop taking their meds.

This becomes an issue when the bacteria resume growth; they are very slow-growing, and very difficult to kill. If they are set back with an initial course of drugs, but the patient discontinues treatment, it may cause the bacteria to become increasingly resistant to the antibiotics that are available.

As such, physicians have had to resort to increasingly dangerous and expensive meds to treat TB. It is an emerging threat within the United States, and the resurgence of cases worldwide is troubling.

For more on the status of TB in the US, see Reference 1.

Answer 5

YES!!! It is still around and a very contagious and dangerous illness. Health care professionals, including doctors, nurses EMT's and others are tested on a yearly basis to check for exposure to the infection. This is done by a small injection under the skin on the under side of the forearm. Although a positive exposure test does not conclude active infection, it is followed by chest x-rays and other conclusive tests. TB can be treated, through medicinal therapies, but it is a difficult disease to treat. Medications must be taken on a strict schedule and exactly as specified for best results. For more information, you can access the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov

Answer 6

I am a service member currently stationed in The republic of Korea and recently we have found evidence that TB is still present in this country and some people who have managed to avoid immunization or who put themselves at risk for infectious disease are testing positive for this disease along with a host of others not too common in the states and some not really popular anymore. However I also noticed in my travels that most of these now uncommon diseases still only tend to exsists in foreign countries(outside the United States) or third world countries. For example service members(myself included) are required to get a smallpox vaccination if health eligible before a tour in Korea. It can be easily detected by a simple testing procedure and with advanced medicine technology I believe is not a world of trouble to treat.

Answer 7

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Tuberculosis is bacterial AND contagious. You should not spend time around someone until their physician has declared them non-infectious. An infectious tb patient will remain infectious until the drug therapy decreases the number of viable bacteria in the lungs. Wearing a mask, unless it is specially fitted, does no good. The infected patient can minimize the spread by always coughing and sneezing into a handkerchief. Good ventilation is a plus.

Answer 8

Yep, it's still around. Last I heard, it's actually on the rise, but mainly due to an increased presence of TB among HIV victims.

It is comparatively easily treated--oral medications, for the most part, are all that is needed--but yes, it can be serious.

I've seen TB; I usually refer it to a pulmonary specialist to treat, since I don't see it often enough to remain an expert with treating it. Haven't had anyone die of it--yet--despite over a quarter century in clinical practice...

Answer 9

About 90% of people that are infected with tuberculosis never actually get sick (they are said to have a latent TB infection) and cannot spread the disease.

This said, TB is still one of the deadliest diseases on the planet; about two of every three people with active TB eventually die if not treated. Globally, TB is the second most common deadly infection (malaria is the first); about two million people die of it every year, compared to about three million dying from malaria. TB is a very serious problem for people whose immune system is compromised by HIV.

Active tuberculosis is usually treated with isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol for two months, then with isoniazid and rifampicin only for another four months.

Latent tuberculosis is normally treated with isoniazid for six to nine months.

Answer 10

TB is still VERY VERY much around. In the US as-well-as VERY high in 3rd world countries. I assure you, you know someone who is a carrier for TB.
Tests are very easy. In the US, health is so good, you don;t need worry much about it because it is an "opportunistic" that gains strength when someone is weak and very sick. People IDed as carriers can take simple drugs to prevent it from turning into the deadly form. However, many carriers who are IDed actually never do take the drugs because the cost/bennefit is not so great and the chance of it turning deadly in a healthy person is very low. Typicaaly people who work in healthcare, who are TB carriers will choose to take the drugs.
Bill Gates donates tons of cash to TB research. TB is one of the largest killers of people in the world.