Index Etiology and risk factors Pathophysiological processes Clinical manifestations and complications Conclusion Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is spread through respiratory droplets exhaled by infected people. There are two forms of tuberculosis: latent tuberculosis and active tuberculosis. A person infected with latent tuberculosis will carry a dormant form of the bacterium but will not show clinical manifestations of the infection. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death from infectious diseases and the leading reason for death among people who have contracted HIV. For example, someone with a strong immune system would be able to effectively fight bacterial infection. But people infected with HIV will not be able to effectively kill the infection. Two billion people worldwide are infected with tuberculosis. The following are the regions of the world that have the highest incidence of tuberculosis: Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific. There is an antibiotic regimen (isoniazid) that an infected person can take to treat tuberculosis infection. It is important that the patient takes the medicine as prescribed. Otherwise, it may cause antibiotic resistance or not kill all the bacteria, thus causing a resurgence of the tuberculosis infection. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Etiology and Risk Factors The cause of tuberculosis is a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It spreads from person to person through inhalation of airborne droplets that are released when a person with active tuberculosis coughs, talks or sneezes. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a Gram-positive bacterium that requires oxygen to survive. Airborne droplets can be transferred from a person with active tuberculosis through the air and can actually persist for long periods of time. Risk factors include the following: living in close contact with an infected person, poorly ventilated rooms, crowded living conditions, homelessness, living in a long-term care facility, and living in a third world country with a high incidence of tuberculosis. Infants and young children are at greater risk of developing active tuberculosis than adults. There is a difference in the most common mode of transmission between adults and children. Children acquire tuberculosis infection through their community or adults with whom they come into direct contact. Activation of the latent form of tuberculosis into the active form in children is very rare in children under 10 years of age. Children are usually found to show no symptoms of tuberculosis despite an abnormal chest x-ray. Children with active tuberculosis are also less contagious than adults because they don't cough as much and therefore don't spread as many airborne droplets. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes put people at greater risk of tuberculosis infection. Pathophysiological processes The pathophysiological onset of tuberculosis begins in the respiratory system. When primary tuberculosis infection occurs, Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli rapidly reproduce within alveolar macrophages, which are subsequently disseminated into the lymphatic system via lymphatic vessels. This process induces the first inflammatory response and causes the formation of caseous necrosis and granulomatous lesions (tubercles) in the lungs. These lesions can heal causing the formation of calcified granulomas, but a system.