Tuberculosis : Introduction

An infectious airborne disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis -non spore forming , non-motile , obligate-aerobic ( strict aerobes-need O2 to survive ), facultative , catalase- negative , intracellular bacteria Other members of the group include Mycobacterium africanum , Mycobacterium bovis , Mycobacterium microti ,M aviumintracellulare , M Kansai , M scrofulaceum( M tuberculosis and seven closely related mycobacterial species together comprise what is called M. tuberculosis complex ) No known environmental reservoir , versatile adaptive pathogen with several unique features as the presence of several lipids in the cell wall including mycolic acid , cord factor , and wax D ( hence can be resistant to several antibiotics , difficulty staining with Gram & several other stains i,e acid fast , can survive under extreme conditions as extreme acidity or alkalinity , low O2 & intracellular survival within the macrophages ) Transmission is person-to-person through the respiratory route , when person with infectious TB coughs , sneezes , speaks or sings - most commonly affects the lung but can damage any tissue ( not transmitted by surface contact ) Transmission happens when a person inhales droplet nuclei containing M.tuberculosis and the droplet nuclei traverse...