The cause of TBC, a deadly infectious disease

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the 10 deadliest diseases in the world. People affected by this disease are usually characterized by symptoms of persistent cough, weight loss, shortness of breath, and night sweats even when they are not doing activities. So, what exactly is the cause of tuberculosis? Check out the following reviews.

Bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the cause of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a contagious disease that attacks the respiratory system to be precise in the lungs. If you don't undergo TB treatment, the disease can also spread to other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain.

The cause of tuberculosis is a bacterial infection Mycobacterium tuberculosis . These bacteria are closely related to other mycobacterial species which can also cause tuberculosis, viz M. bovis , M. africanum , M. microti , M. caprae, M. pinnipedii , M. canetti , and M. Mungi . However, most cases of tuberculosis are caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The emergence of these bacteria is still not known with certainty, but it is thought to have come from livestock.

TB transmission occurs when a person breathes contaminated air Mycobacterium tuberculosis. After entering the body, the bacteria will begin to infect the lungs, precisely in the alveoli, which are the air pockets where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.

Infection Mycobacterium tuberculosis

When they enter the body, actually some of the number of bacteria has been reduced due to the resistance of macrophage cells, which are parts of white blood cells that are part of the immune system. Some of the bacteria that escape the resistance of macrophages then multiply in the alveoli of the lungs.

Launching the CDC explanation, within the next 2-8 weeks the macrophage cells will surround the remaining bacteria to form granulomas or adhesive walls. Granuloma functions to maintain development Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the lungs stay under control. In this condition it can be said that the bacteria are not actively infecting.

When there are bacteria that enter the body, but are not actively infecting, it is called latent TB. The bacteria that cannot reproduce do not damage healthy cells in the lungs. That is why, latent TB sufferers do not experience TB symptoms. They also cannot spread the bacterial infection to other people.

If the body's immune system turns out to be unable to restrain the development of bacteria, the infection will reactivate and the number of bacteria will multiply quickly. As a result, the granuloma wall will collapse and bacteria will spread and damage healthy cells in the lungs.

At this stage, the patient feels the symptoms of TB so it is also called active pulmonary TB disease. People with active TB can pass the bacteria on to other people.

If the numbers continue to increase, the bacteria that cause tuberculosis can enter the bloodstream or lymph systems throughout the body. When carried by this, bacteria can reach other organs of the body, such as the kidneys, brain, lymph nodes, and bones. Infection Mycobacterium tuberculosis which attacks organs outside the lungs causing extra pulmonary TB.

The mutated bacteria that cause TB (can be caused by not adhering to treatment), can also make tuberculosis worse so that it develops drug-resistant TB (MDR TB). MDR TB is a condition in which tuberculosis bacteria present in the body are immune to the TB drug reaction. If drug-resistant TB is detected too late, this makes the disease more difficult to cure.

Factors that increase a person's risk of developing TB

If you have one or more of the specific risk factors, your chances of getting pulmonary TB will be higher.

The risk factors that will be described here are conditions that have the potential to make a person infected with TB, either latent or developing to be active.

The following are some of the risk factors that could cause you to potentially have active pulmonary TB.

1. Frequent direct contact with TB sufferers

People who frequently come into contact with or are in contact with TB sufferers are at very risk of contracting it. For example, people who live in the same house, have close contact, or caregivers who care for TB patients every day are more at risk of developing TB than people who try to avoid contact with sufferers.

2. Have a weak immune system

In a scientific article entitled Mycobacterium Tuberculosis , mentioned several conditions and diseases that can lower the immune system thereby increasing a person's risk of developing tuberculosis, namely:

Elderly and children

In people with a good immune system, the bacterial infection that causes tuberculosis can still be controlled (latent TB) so that it does not immediately cause symptoms (active TB).

However, if the body's immunity decreases, the body cannot fight the bacterial infection that causes TB to the maximum. As a result, latent TB can develop into active TB.

People with weakened immune systems tend to get infected more easily, especially the elderly.

Babies and children also have immature immune systems. Therefore, they are more susceptible to TB transmission. In addition, those of you who are malnourished, have a body weight below the normal index, or children whose immune system development is not yet perfect are also at risk of developing active pulmonary TB disease.

Apart from being prone to infection, babies and children also have a higher risk of experiencing serious complications when the child is infected with TB.

Infected with HIV / AIDS

HIV / AIDS is a viral infection that directly attacks the immune system so that its function of resistance to infection and disease is getting weaker. In other words, people with HIV / AIDS need to be checked for TB because they are much more susceptible to infection Mycobacterium tuberculosis .

People with HIV / AIDS infection with the bacteria that cause TB in their bodies have an estimated 7-10% chance of developing active TB each year. This percentage is certainly much higher when compared to normal people without risk factors.

People with diabetes and other conditions

People who have stomach ulcers, cancer, kidney disease, hemophilia, or diabetes are at risk of developing TB. Patients with these diseases have a greater chance of being infected with TB bacteria because their immune system is unable to suppress bacterial growth.

Diabetics who have TB-causing bacteria in their bodies have a higher chance of developing active TB than normal people. This chance can increase by up to 30% over a lifetime.

Experiencing stress

Apparently, stressful conditions can also increase a person's risk of transmitting TB. This is because stress has an effect on your immune system.

3. Taking certain drugs

There are several types of drugs and treatment methods that can affect the immune system, including:

• Undergo chemotherapy treatment.
• Taking immunosuppressant drugs.
• Take medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis.
• Using drugs TNF-α inhibitors (biological medicine) to treat diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

4. Location

Apart from certain diseases or health conditions, a person is also at risk of contracting TB disease if he is traveling or living in an area with a high incidence of TB.

The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are mostly found in developing countries, such as countries that are in:

• Africa
• Eastern Europe
• Asia, especially Southeast Asia
• Russia
• Latin America
• Caribbean Islands

Not only the country where you live, another factor that determines the transmission of TB is the environment where you work, such as a hospital or health facility in TB endemic areas.

Both hospital, puskesmas and clinic workers have a great chance of being exposed to the bacteria that causes pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, it is important for these workers to use masks and wash their hands frequently when handling TB patients.

In addition to hospitals and other health service centers, transmission of TB disease is also easier to occur in holding facilities, such as prisons, shelters for street children, orphanages. People in these places are much more likely to become infected with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.

5. Living conditions

The cause of TB transmission is not always related to how high the incidence is, but also how a person has access to proper health facilities. Latent TB sufferers who live in remote areas with minimal health facilities are at increased risk of active TB.

Likewise with the living environment that is damp, narrow, and not exposed to sunlight. Living rooms with poor air ventilation or even no ventilation at all will increase a person's risk of developing active pulmonary TB. This is because the bacteria that are released when the sufferer coughs or sneezes are trapped in the room and are constantly inhaled.

6. Unhealthy lifestyle

Other risk factors that trigger the bacteria that cause tuberculosis to develop to become active are regular consumption of cigarettes and alcohol, as well as the use of recreational drugs, such as drugs.

The dangerous substances in cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs have the potential to weaken your immune system. This means that your chances of suffering from TB disease can increase.