Tuberculosis is generally not something the average patient may think of when they have a nagging persistent cough. To be honest, it is not a serious consideration in most patients that I have seen along the way. Recently, I have been reminded of the pivotal role tuberculosis has played in the global development of civilizations, cultures and even the lives of noted individuals.
Latent TB is tuberculosis that is harbored by individuals that have been infected by the tuberculosis bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and whose immune system was strong enough to wall off these bacteria and prevent active disease. What is not usually understood is that these bacteria can remain dormant for years, even decades and then reactivate and cause life threatening disease.
There is a great deal to know about Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and I cannot do an adequate job in this short article. Just understand that if your family physician or pulmonary physician feels you need to be tested for either latent TB with a blood or skin test or active TB with sputum samples or samples from your lower bronchial tree do not resist.
Tuberculosis is the number one infectious disease and the number one cause of infectious death in the world. This is not only true now but has been so for centuries. It is not only a disease that can cause misery and death in the poor and impoverished countries of the world but right here at home as well.
