This Sunday, March 24, was World Tuberculosis Day, a date chosen to commemorate the discovery of the bacteria responsible for the disease in 1882; Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It was on March 24 that the German physician and microbiologist Robert Koch announced this important discovery.
What is tuberculosis?
The disease is caused by a bacillus called mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is transmitted through the air. This makes tuberculosis a highly contagious disease.
The main characteristic of this disease is the appearance of nodules in the tissues that are attacked by the microorganism. The speed with which this pathology can attack organs in the body is high, with the lungs being the most affected in most cases. Patients with tuberculosis often present weight loss and cough, which may be accompanied by blood.
World Youth Rheumatic Diseases Day (March 18) was promoted by the European Pediatric Rheumatology Association (PReS) with the aim of raising awareness among the population that rheumatic diseases can also occur in childhood.
Although it is true that tuberculosis is practically eradicated in Chile, more than 4,100 people die every day from tuberculosis and approximately 28,000 people contract this disease worldwide, making it one of the most lethal infectious diseases worldwide.
This year’s motto for TB Memorial Day is «Yes, we can end TB,» mainly because the countries where TB strikes are those where poverty levels are very high, and access to a good health system and a decent life is minimal. Given this situation, efforts are focused on improving people’s quality of life, since this is the only way to eradicate this highly serious and contagious disease.
At Microbac we have the MTB Extra ELITe MGB Kit, a real-time PCR test designed to detect the DNA of the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.
