Tuberculosis

Abstract

At present, the incidence of tuberculosis is on the rise. Mycobacterium tuberculosis often infests AIDS patients due to the fact that these persons´T-cell mediated resistance is reduced, which favors the development of the disease at a higher rate than in healthy people. The disease can be transmitted directly, that is , from an infested individual to a healthy subject mainly by means of saliva containing these microorganisms, or indirectly by inhaling the bacillus which may be present in daily used objects for months due to its high resistance. Myobacteria causing tuberculosis in the immunocompetent man are tuberculosis and bovis whereas other types may produce tuberculosis in immunocompromised individuals. The pathogenecity of this bacillus is related to its capacity of escaping from macrophage-induced destruction and provoking retarded hypersensitivity. This disease has very few oral manifestations; in general, a sore mainly located in the back of the tongue is the only observed sign. Tuberculosis threatens to become an incurable disease because of the poor administration of anti-tuberculosis programs, that is why, WHO proposes DOTS (directly observed treatment of short duration) for its detection and treatment. This programs begins to achieve satisfactory results, although in the last five-year period, 88% of the patients estimated to be tuberculosis-infested was not covered by DOTS.