REDDAM HOUSE PRIMARY SCHOOL - JESSICA'S TUBERCULOSIS PAGE

The History of Tuberculosis	Tuberculosis has been present since the Egyptian mummies of 2400 BC. It was discussed in Greek literature and an exact description of the disease appeared in the 17th Century. The disease was known as consumption and in 1720 Dr Benjamin Marten was the first to realise that the disease could be transferred from patient to patient. In 1854 Hermann Brehmer realised that Tuberculosis was curable. In 1865 Dr Jean-Antoine Villemin demonstrated that Tuberculosis could pass from humans to cattle and from cattle to rabbits. In 1882 Robert Koch discovered a staining technique to enable him to see Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Doctors started to isolate the sick recommending rest and a proper diet. In 1895 Willhelm Konrad von Rontgen discovered radiation (x-rays) so the disease can now be monitored. Calmette and Guerin created the basis for the BCG vaccine still in use today. In World War 2 the final breakthrough came with the use of chemotherapy.
Robert Koch Robert Koch was born in 1843 and raised in a poor mining family. He studied maths and natural science and then medicine at university. In 1872 Koch, with all his skills, started to experiment with microbes in a small laboratory. Koch's first work was investigating anthrax. After this Koch moved onto germs that specifically affected himans. In 1878 he discovered new techniques of staining microbes and conducting experiments. In 1881 using the dye technique Koch and his team started searching for the Tuberculosis germ and by 1882 they had found it.
	What is Tuberculosis? Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by a germ called tubercle bacillus entering the body as you breathe. It settles in the lungs and then spreads to other parts of the body. You only get sick when the germ becomes active. TB is spread only from active patients when they cough, sneeze or talk. People breathe in the air with the TB germ into their lungs. People at Risk: Anyone can catch TB but certain people are at higher risk. These include : people who are in contact with TB sufferers poor and medically underserved homeless people those people from countries with a high TB rate those in nursing homes or prisons alcoholics or drug users. As well as this the elderly are at rist as are health workers and people with impaire immunity. In 2002 thge total number of new cases in the USA was 15,075
Symptoms cough that lasts for more than two weeks, especially if fluid or blood comes from the lungs when you cough fever weight loss sweating at night loss of apetite These symptoms may not appear until the disease has already caused damage and my be confused with other diseases. A TB skin test will show you if you have bene infected but not when infected whether active or inactive. If the skin test is positive, docotrs will run blood tests, sputum samples and x-rays to check to aactivity and damage.	Treatment If the infection is inactive the doctor may prescribe medication such as isoniazid to stop the germs causing TB in the future. These may be taken for several months. If the infection is active the patient needs to be isolated for several weeks and would need to take isoniazid and rifampin for 6 to 9 months. The drugs must be taken as told or a new TB germ may take hold and is difficult to treat. With proper drugs the patient should feel better and the x-rays should show improvement after one month. If this has not occured more toxic drugs may be needed. Conclusion The World Health Organisation estimates that 8 million people get TB every year, 95% live in poorer countries. 3 milllion people die from TB a year. TB is becoming more of a problem with the growth of AIDS and with drug resistance. However, good public health is attempting to keep TB under control.
The Respiratory System Tuberculosis.net Dr Greene - Tuberculosis How to Keep Your Lungs Healthy	The History Learning Site - Robert Koch The American Lung Association A History of Tuberculosis