11/02/2022
The ABC of TB By Verah Mugambi Tuberculosis is a life-threatening disease. It knows no borders and anyone can be infected with it. TB, as is referred to by many, is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to Dr. Andrew Owour, a Respiratory and Critical Care Physician at Kenyatta National Hospital, the disease affects all ages “but it’s more common in young people.” This, he says, is because a majority of them are mobile; move around a lot, live in cognate settings, have poor nutrition, and are alcoholics. The bacteria usually attack the lungs. However, TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist - Latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal. Latent TB Infection: The latent TB infection is when the bacteria live in the body without making one sick. For most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body can fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. People with latent TB infection have no
symptoms, don’t feel sick, can’t spread the bacteria to others, usually have a positive TB skin test reaction or positive TB blood test. They may develop TB disease if they do not receive treatment for latent TB infection. Sometimes people with latent TB bacteria remain inactive for a lifetime without causing disease and will never know they have the infection. TB Disease: A TB bacterium becomes active when the immune system is weak and can’t stop
PHOTO | COURTESY Dr. Andrew Owuor, Respiratory and Critical care Physician- KNH
ISSUE 2 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
them from growing. When TB bacteria are active (multiplying in your body), this is called TB disease. People with TB disease are sick. They may also be able to spread the bacteria to people they spend time with every day. “Tuberculosis is airborne so it’s usually droplet infections which infects after someone has been exposed to someone who has active open pulmonary tuberculosis. TB affects every organ of the body except the hair… But the only one that is transmissible is the one that is in the lungs”, Dr. Owuor explained. Some people develop TB disease soon after becoming infected (within weeks) before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria. Other people may get sick years later when their immune system becomes weak for another reason. “Unfortunately majority of us who live in Kenya are already infected with TB because in Kenya the disease is prevalent. One gets a bug today and takes as long as two years to manifest,” he adds. “One will be exposed to TB but since the immune system is intact it’s usually able to contain the infection.
PHOTO | LALPATHLABS.COM Inforgraphic on how TB is spread
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