Articles by Keck Insurance Agency

TUBERCULOSIS- Still A Continuing Threat

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:17 PM

Our goal at Keck Insurance is to keep our friends who live in the Temecula, Murrieta area informed on important issues concerning Health and Safety.

Here is some information we thought you would like to know concerning protecting your health.

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a global epidemic. It's estimated that 2 billion people (or one third of the world's population) are infected with TB and every year, 2 million people die from it.

In the United States, TB control programs have kept the spread of the disease in check. However, the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) make the goal of eliminating TB in the U.S. especially important.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It typically affects the lungs, but may also affect other parts of the body. TB disease coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings, microscopic droplets containing M. tuberculosis may be expelled into the air. These droplets can remain suspended in the air for several hours. Another person inhaling these droplets may become infected with TB. The longer the exposure and the more contagious the diseased person, the more likely the exposed person will become infected.

Most people infected with TB will never develop TB disease- the body's immune system keeps the bacteria under control and inactive. a person infected with TB but who has not developed the disease has a condition called latent TB infection (LTBI).

Approximately 10% of people with LTBI will develop TB disease at some point in their lives. For people with weakened immune systems, however, the risk of developing TB disease can greatly increase.

A person with TB disease may have any of these symptoms:

• Persistent cough (3weeks or longer)
• Bloody sputum
• Weight loss or loss of appetite
• Fever
• Night sweats

Diagnosis and treatment of TB is not only important for the health of the individual. It is also important for preventing the spread of TB within the community.

TB infection control programs should be established for clinics, hospitals, and setting in which home-based health care and emergency medical services are provided. Nursing homes, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, drug treatment centers and other places that serve clients who are at risk for being infected with TB should also develop TB infection control programs.

We hope this information was informative.

Your friends at Keck Insurance

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