"Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a thin, slightly curved bacillus. A member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, it is an obligate aerobic bacterium that is the aetiologic agent of the majority of tuberculosis cases."
"The Mantoux tuberculin skin test involves the subdermal injection of tuberculin, a complex of purified M. tuberculosis proteins, into the skin of the forearm. The size of the developing skin reaction is measured in millimetres. A positive reaction indicates that a person has been infected with TB bacteria in the past. It cannot determine whether active infection is present."
"Similarly, interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold are surrogate markers of M. tuberculosis infection and indicate an immune response to M. tuberculosis, but cannot distinguish between latent infection and active tuberculosis. These tests are not affected by prior Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination. Since 2010 the IGRAs are the preferred testing method as recommended by the CDC."
"M. tuberculosis is transmitted airborne, i.e. by droplet infection. M. tuberculosis is a facultative intracellular parasite. When inhaled, the organism is taken up by alveolar macrophages. Several mechanisms stop macrophages from killing the bacteria, and hence they can multiply unhindered within macrophages."
"The division rate of M. tuberculosis is very slow at up to 20 hours. The lipid-rich wall accounts for its capacity to survive in dry conditions for many weeks and its virulence."
"The wall of the bacterium contains high levels of lipids, and as such does not retain standard bacteriological stains such as Gram stains. Despite this characteristic, M. tuberculosis is classified as a Gram-positive bacterium due to the lack of an outer cell membrane."
"Ziehl-Neelsen or acid-fast stains are used. M. tuberculosis appears as small round bacilli stained red by the acid-fast stain. Caseating granulomas containing Langhans giant cells (not to be confused with Langerhans cells) is a hallmark."
"Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is defined as disease caused by M. tuberculosis resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin. Treatment is a challenge and involves second-line therapies for up to 2 years."
"1720: Benjamin Marten writes "A theory of Consumption" and hypothesises that tuberculosis may be caused by "small living creatures that are transmitted through the air to other patients""
"1882: discovery of M. tuberculosis by Robert Koch wins the 1905 Nobel Prize"
"1998: genome of M. tuberculosis sequenced"
"Despite these persistently high figures, The WHO Millennium Development Goal target to halt and reverse the TB epidemic by 2015 has already been achieved."
"close contact with others with active TB"
"The Mantoux tuberculin skin test involves the subdermal injection of tuberculin, a complex of purified M. tuberculosis proteins, into the skin of the forearm. The size of the developing skin reaction is measured in millimetres. A positive reaction indicates that a person has been infected with TB bacteria in the past. It cannot determine whether active infection is present."
"Similarly, interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold are surrogate markers of M. tuberculosis infection and indicate an immune response to M. tuberculosis, but cannot distinguish between latent infection and active tuberculosis. These tests are not affected by prior Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination. Since 2010 the IGRAs are the preferred testing method as recommended by the CDC."
"Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is defined as disease caused by M. tuberculosis resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin. Treatment is a challenge and involves second-line therapies for up to 2 years."
"Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) progresses very rapidly and can be fatal within weeks. XDR-TB is defined as TB that has developed resistance to at least rifampicin and isoniazid, plus any agent of the fluoroquinolone family, plus at least one of the aminoglycosides or polypeptides."
"Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) progresses very rapidly and can be fatal within weeks. XDR-TB is defined as TB that has developed resistance to at least rifampicin and isoniazid, plus any agent of the fluoroquinolone family, plus at least one of the aminoglycosides or polypeptides."
"2400 BCE: evidence of spinal tuberculosis in an Egyptian mummy"
"460 BCE: Hippocrates termed the condition phthisis (Greek for consumption), a term used throughout the centuries"
"460 BCE: Hippocrates termed the condition phthisis (Greek for consumption), a term used throughout the centuries"
"1720: Benjamin Marten writes "A theory of Consumption" and hypothesises that tuberculosis may be caused by "small living creatures that are transmitted through the air to other patients""
"1921: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine first used in human trials"