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Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (or TB) is a contagious infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Most often it infects the lungs, but it can also attack other parts of the body, such as the spine, kidneys, and brain. Tuberculosis has two stages: TB infection and TB disease. If a baby has a TB infection, he has a small number of TB germs in his body, but his immune system is preventing them from causing symptoms. If he has TB disease, the germs have multiplied and symptoms are more likely. Someone infected with TB who doesn't have TB disease can't spread the bacteria to others but should be treated to prevent the development of the disease. What are the symptoms of Tuberculosis? If your baby has TB, he may have a persistent fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, or night sweats. He may or may not have a cough. How is it transmitted? Your baby can get the disease by inhaling bacteria (which fly into the air when a person with TB disease coughs or sneezes). Children usually contract TB from adults, not from other kids. That's because children's mucus secretions rarely contain many of the bacteria, and their cough isn't strong enough to spray the droplets into the air. After a baby inhales TB bacteria, they settle and grow in the lungs. They can then move through the bloodstream to the kidneys, spine, and brain. This spreading is more likely in babies and children than in adults who contract the disease. Can TB be treated? If you have TB infection, you may need medicine to prevent getting TB disease later. This is called “preventive” treatment. TB disease can also be treated by taking medicine. It is very important that people who have TB disease finish the medicine, and take the drugs exactly as they are told. If they stop taking the drugs too soon, they can become sick again. If they do not take the drugs correctly, the germs that are still alive may become difficult to treat with those drugs. It is very important that you take your medicine as your doctor recommends. It takes at least six months to one year to kill all the TB germs. click here for article
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