How to prevent Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most

often affect the lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable.
TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough,
sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few
of these germs to become infected.
About one-third of the world's population has latent TB, which means people have been
infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with disease and cannot transmit the disease.
People infected with TB bacteria have a lifetime risk of falling ill with TB of 10%.
However persons with compromised immune systems, such as people living with HIV,
malnutrition or diabetes, or people who use tobacco, have a much higher risk of falling ill.
When a person develops active TB (disease), the symptoms (cough, fever, night sweats,
weight loss etc.) may be mild for many months. This can lead to delays in seeking care,
and results in transmission of the bacteria to others. People ill with TB can infect up to 10-
15 other people through close contact over the course of a year. Without proper treatment
up to two thirds of people ill with TB will die.

Many people who are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) do not get sick or
spread the bacteria to others this is known as latent TB. In the United States and many
other countries, healthcare providers try to identify people infected with Mtb as early as
possible, before they advance from latent to active TB.
Some people at higher risk for developing active TB are:
People with HIV infection
People who became infected with TB bacteria in the last 2 years
Babies and young children
People who inject illegal drugs
People who are sick with other diseases that weaken the immune system




Symptoms of active TB in the lungs
Symptoms of active TB in the lungs begin gradually and develop over a period of
weeks or months. You may have one or two mild symptoms and not even know that you
have the disease.
Common symptoms include:
A cough with thick, cloudy, and sometimes bloody mucus from the lungs (sputum)
for more than 2 weeks.
Fever, chills, and night sweats.
Fatigue and weakness.
Loss of appetite and unexplainedweight loss.
Shortness of breath and chest pain.
Elderly people
People who were not treated correctly for TB in the past
People in high risk groups can be treated with medicine to prevent active TB disease and should meet
with their healthcare providers to determine the appropriate treatment.
Prevention of Tuberculosis
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB is the second greatest killer
globally caused by a single infectious organism. Moreover, it is completely curable and
preventable as long as the subsequent measures are effectively taken:
1. Minimize risk of exposure
If one is suspected of having active TB or have received less than two weeks of the
appropriate treatment, then others should take caution and abstain from being in close
quarters with the infected individual. A few germs inhaled by a healthy person can make
one infected as well. Wearing face masks and gloves can minimize the risk of getting
TB.
2. Take extra care if you are at high-risk


As mentioned above, some people have a higher risk of getting TB than others. If a
person belongs to the high-risk category, he or she should take extra measures to make
sure he or she does not contract TB. Aside from the high-risk groups mentioned above,
people who live in close confinement with others like in prisons, small houses, shelters
etc., should pay extra attention as well as those who abuse drugs and have limited access
to suitable healthcare facilities.
3. Take extra care when travelling to high-risk areas
People travelling to countries most affected by TB, particularly Afghanistan, Angola,
Bangladesh and other less developed countries in Latin Americaand Africa, must get
themselves tested and take extra precautions to reduce exposure to an active TB
infection.
4. Develop healthy lifestyle
One of the most efficient ways to protect oneself from TB is to maintain a healthy
lifestyle by eating healthy and balanced food, exercising regularly, sleeping adequately,
developing good personal hygiene, and restraining from consuming dangerous
substances like alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.
5. Take the BCG vaccine
If the chance of contracting TB is very high then one could get the TB vaccine called
BacilliCalmette-Guerin (BCG). This vaccine is mainly used in high TB risk countries.
However, the BCG vaccine is not as effective in adults as it is in babies. It should be
used when travelling to a country where TB is widely prevalent.
How to avoid spereding TB



1 Stay at home. If you have active TB, you will need to take precautionary steps to avoid
passing the disease onto others. You will need to stay at home from work or school for
several weeks following diagnoses and avoid sleeping or spending long periods of time in a
room with other people.

2 Ventilate the room. The TB virus spreads more easily in enclosed spaces with stagnant air.
Therefore, you should open any windows or doors to let fresh air in and contaminated air out.

3 Cover your mouth. Just like when you have a cold, you will need to cover your mouth
whenever you cough, sneeze or even laugh. You can use your hand if necessary, but using a
tissue is preferable.



4 Wear a mask. If you are forced to be around people, it's a good idea to wear a surgical
mask that covers your mouth and nose, at least during the first three weeks following
infection. This helps to lessen the risk of you passing the virus to someone else.

5Finish your course of medication. It is absolutely essential that you finish whatever course
of medication your doctor prescribes. Failing to do so gives the TB bacteria a chance to
mutate, making the virus much more resistant to medications, and therefore more deadly.
Finishing your course of medications is the safest option not only for you, but for those
around you.[5]

References
http://www.webmd.com/lung/tc/tuberculosis-tb-symptoms
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tuberculosis/understanding/pages/prevention.aspx
http://www.who.int/tb/publications/2008/who_htm_tb_2008_401_eng.pdf?ua=1