Tuberculosis - Symptoms, Treatment and Key Facts

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.

Loss of TB control due to missed patients and drug resistance

The World Health Organization, WHO, issued a news release on 23 October 2013 in London/Geneva titled, "Gains in tuberculosis control at risk due to 3 million missed patients and drug resistance." The report painted a gloomy picture of risks posed by 3million missed patients and drug resistance in loosing current gains in TB control.

WHO Guidelines for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

WHO Guidelines for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis - 2011 Update

New guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the management of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) offer the latest approaches for better control of the disease that claims millions of lives each year.

The guidelines, published online August 4, 2011 in the European Respiratory Journal, update recommendations from previous guidelines published in 2008 and are intended to help inform practitioners, particularly those in lower-income settings, of the very latest and most cost-effective standards of care for achieving optimal patient outcomes.