Pathogenesis and Treatment of Tuberculosis (T.B) Disease

Kamal Singh Bani; Khushboo Bhardwaj

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious illness spread through the air that is caused by organisms from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. M. tuberculosis is a lung infection in primary stage, but it can infect any area of the body. M. tuberculosis infection can progress from latent TB infection, in which the bacteria are isolated within granulomas, to infectious infection, in which the patient develops symptoms such as cough, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Only active pulmonary tuberculosis is infectious. TB is a major source of illness and mortality in many low- and middle-income countries, and drug-resistant TB is a major problem in many settings. The common mechanisms for the development and growth of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance are acquired and primary drug resistance. Primary drug resistance is caused by exposure to drug-resistant anti-tuberculosis, while acquired drug resistance is caused by incorrect therapy, poor drug quality, and insufficient medication intake. Despite the development of various new TB diagnostics, including quick molecular testing, there is still a need for simpler point-of-care assays. Treatment normally necessitates a lengthy course of various antimicrobials, prompting research into shorter medication regimens. This antituberculosis drug resistance has a disastrous impact on public health. As a result, more research finding or a new target for the development of novel anti-tuberculosis medications is needed. Despite the fact that the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination is widely used around the world, primarily to prevent life-threatening tuberculosis in newborns and young children, it has proven ineffectual in curbing the global TB epidemic. As a result, efforts are being made to produce novel vaccinations with higher efficacy.

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