Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacteria are found in habitats such as water or soil. However, a few are intracellular pathogens of animals and humans. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, along with M. bovis, M. africanum, and M. microti all cause the disease known as tuberculosis (TB) and are members of the tuberculosis species complex. Each member of the TB complex is pathogenic, but M. tuberculosis is pathogenic for humans while M. bovis is usually pathogenic for animals.

M. bovis was causing TB in the animal kingdom long before invading humans. However, after the domestication of cattle between 8000-4000 BC, there is archaeological evidence of human infection by M. bovis probably through milk consumption. M. tuberculosis is probably a human-specialized form of M. bovis developed among milk-drinking Indo-Europeans who then spread the disease during their migration into western Europe and Eurasia. By 1000 BC, M. tuberculosis and pulmonary TB had spread throughout the known world.

Tuberculosis Symtoms Diagnostics

(TB) is a chronic bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacterium is spread through the air and usually infects the lungs, although other organs and body parts can be involved. Most people who are infected with M. tuberculosis harbor the bacterium without symptoms (known as latent TB), but some will develop active TB. In other cases, the bacteria die. A positive test for tuberculosis of the skin and old scars on a chest radio graph may provide the only evidence that a person has been infected with tuberculosis.

Latent tuberculosis symptoms

In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and infection, the body is able to fight against bacteria to prevent them from growing. The bacteria become inactive but remain alive in the body and can become active later. This is called latent TB. People with latent TB have no symptoms of TB, do not feel sick, they can not spread TB to others and they usually have a positive skin test for tuberculosis (PPD test) response.

Defination of Tuberculosis ( TB )

Tuberculosis also known as TB is pronounced as [ too-bur-kyuh-loh-sis ] is an infectious diseases which attacks your body tissue mainly the lungs of our body. It is spread through the air when a bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is transferred from one person to another person.