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Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, abbreviated as TB, is quite common infectious disease. Once it is flowered well in your body, it lasts long even when you take proper medications. The main perpetrator of the disease is a bacterium known as mycobacterium tuberculosis.
You are more vulnerable to have tuberculosis when your immune system is weak. However, when the immune system works properly, this bacterium remains inactive and shows no effect. Let us see some reasons which lead to cause tuberculosis:
Top Causes Of Tuberculosis
Consumption Of Non-Pasteurized Milk
Non-Pasteurized Milk
This contagious disease can be acquired by drinking non-pasteurized milk. Usually the milk we drink is pasteurized and the dairy herds; cows and buffalos are vaccinated.
But in case you drink milk from an un-vaccinated herd or if the milk is non-pasteurized, you are prone to get infected.
Conducive Conditions For The Bacteria
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an obligate parasite which means their life cycle is completely dependent on their host. They require oxygen in abundant amount to make a living and there is no better accommodation than human lungs for them to find oxygen.
They reside in lungs as parasite for us and consume a part in our oxygen which leads us to cough and other problems during infection. However, they spread to different parts of body as well through lymphatic system once after proliferation.
Spending More Time In Public Places
The probability of causing tuberculosis is more if you travel much or spend time in public places. Elderly people, people who are homeless and unhygienic and alcoholics are at greater risk of acquiring this disease. They increase the risk of spreading this infection to people in public places, more than acquiring it themselves.
It can be dealt by keeping such homeless people in sanitariums. It doesn’t spread by hand shake though a proper distance must be maintained with an infected person to avoid droplet infection.
Presence Of HIV Virus
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
HIV and TB work hand in hand. Human immunodeficiency virus, as the name suggests makes our body immunity deficient. The weakened immune system is an open coffer for infectious bacteria and virus. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is most likely to occur in a HIV positive person.
This is why, every HIV positive person is tested for tuberculosis. Statistics say that in 2009, 1.7 million people died of tuberculosis out of which 4 lakh people were HIV positive. Tuberculosis doesn’t seem to be a big threat in its initial stage. People misunderstand it with normal cough but it may be fatal if it is dealt recklessly. Approach a doctor if normal cough does not subside in a while.
Transmission Through Droplets
This is an air borne disease transmitted through droplets. Whenever somebody who has this disease sneezes, coughs, laughs or speaks loudly, this bacterium is released in air in the form of tiny droplets of mucus or saliva. These droplets while they sway in the air are inhaled by a person which becomes the sole reason of causing tuberculosis.
The bacterium might stay in latent state for some time until a healthy immune system effaces them completely. During their latent state, there are no symptoms of TB, neither the person is contagious. They invade your body easily if the immune system is weak.
Photo Credit: http://tuberculosissymptoms.wordpress.com/category/tuberculosis-symptoms/
