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Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It usually affects the lungs but it can spread to other parts of the body, affecting the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, the gastrointestinal, bones, joints, and even the skin. It has been a major cause of death and disability in developing countries. This illness has declined for years in Singapore; however, there is a slight increase in the last year in Singapore. Even though the numbers are not high enough to cause a widespread panic, but a slight increase is not good news.

How is it spread?

TB is spread by breathing in the air droplets containing the TB bacteria. These are released into the air when an infectious TB patient coughs or sneezes. In areas with high TB, people who inject drugs using unsanitary needles are also at higher risk of getting such disease. The probability of the TB spreading depends upon the amount of infectious droplets released by a carrier, the duration of exposure, and the virulence of the M. tuberculosis strain. TB can also be transmitted by consuming meat infected with the TB.

Preventive measures

Firstly, people who are infected with TB and their contacts will be identified and will be treated if they are infected with the virus. The two antibiotics most commonly used for treating TB are rifampicin and isoniazid. However, the treatment takes around 6 to 24 months to entirely destroy the virus in your body.

Vaccinations are also used as part of the TB control program, most of whom are infants. In Singapore, TB vaccinations are compulsory as a result, the people infected with TB have declined significantly over the years.

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