What is the Meaning & Definition of Tuberculosis

Understood as one of the most deadly infectious diseases and prevalent, tuberculosis today is a lung disease that affects much of the world's population, believing that currently one-third of it has some kind of Tuberculous infection. Much of this third of population is considered chronic carrier of tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis is defined as an infectious disease caused by the presence in the respiratory system of bacteria of the type Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium that can be present in the air and, due to their slow reproduction and growth, can be found in a person's body for weeks prior to show credible signs of their existence. Precisely, this is one of the most important issues when it comes to treating tuberculosis patients who have symptoms of the same generally have a prior period of latency and incubation of the bacteria. Therefore, it is necessary to act quickly and effectively once detected.
Tuberculosis is one of the diseases characteristic of developing countries, countries in which a significant part of the population do not access basic food, hygiene and health conditions. This makes immune systems to lower their defenses and that as tuberculosis bacteria are easier to stay in the body.
Although TB primarily affects the lungs, being a respiratory disease, it may also complicate to other vital organs. Some of the characteristic symptoms of tuberculosis are prolonged cough for more than 15 days (in some cases with phlegm or blood when it is an advanced state of the disease), mucus, pains in the chest, fever, loss of appetite and weight, muscle weakness, sweating, pain in the bones, gastrointestinal complications, among many others. The World Health Organization has developed over time various vaccines that seek to prevent and attacking the tuberculosis bacterium, counting each one with its specific peculiarities.

Article contributed by the team of collaborators.