Prolonged cough and low temperature can indicate a dangerous disease – one form is particularly scary

One third of the world’s population carries the tuberculosis bacteria.

As the specialist said, the tuberculosis bacterium has a rather unique structure and one of the main reasons why we have not yet overcome this disease is that there is no effective immunoprophylaxis. There is still no vaccine against tuberculosis in adults.

Compared to the countries of the European Union, Lithuania has one of the highest tuberculosis rates. For example, the recurrence rate of new tuberculosis cases is almost 4 times higher than the general rate in the European Union. And even 50 percent. All highly drug-resistant tuberculosis cases in the European Union are registered in Lithuania.

In the past, tuberculosis was called dryness; it was often used by both Lithuanian authors and other people known to the public. Today, however, tuberculosis is like a disease of people from certain social strata. Still, it is a myth. Tuberculosis can affect anyone, regardless of their status.

“One third of the world’s population is infected with the tuberculosis bacteria. This means that they are infected but not yet sick, their immune system is able to keep the tuberculosis bacteria in a state of sleep. However, when some additional factor occurs, the tuberculosis bacteria can wake up from sleep and cause a disease. A person can get this disease anytime and anywhere, “said J. Korabliovienė.

The prevalence of tuberculosis in Lithuania is very high, but no one knows exactly how many Lithuanians could be infected with the bacteria.

When the immune system is weakened, the bacteria suddenly cause illness.

“If there is contact with an adult with tuberculosis, the probability of contracting tuberculosis is around 30 to 35 percent. If we are already infected with the tuberculosis bacteria, the probability of contracting the disease after the first year after infection it is around 5 to 10 percent. Later, if we do not get sick in the first year after contact, we become latent TB cases. “We have the possibility of contracting this disease throughout our lives and it will depend on the immunological, “said the interlocutor.

If the immune system is weakened or a person comes into contact with people with tuberculosis again, or if a harmful lifestyle begins, the bacteria can wake up from sleep and cause illness.

The tuberculosis bacteria can also survive on a variety of surfaces and can stay out of the sun for a particularly long time, as the bacteria are sensitive to ultraviolet light. Even small amounts of bacteria can cause illness.

The symptoms of this disease are similar to those of other lung diseases. Tuberculosis manifests itself in a long and prolonged cough that does not go away in 3 weeks, a temperature of 37 degrees, lack of appetite, night sweats. If you experience these symptoms, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.

The tuberculosis vaccine is for newborns only and is given 1 to 3 days after birth. The vaccine protects against extremely serious forms of the disease. Unfortunately, this vaccine is not effective in adults.

One of the scariest forms of tuberculosis is a drug-resistant disease that can be fatal.

“The bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics fairly quickly. This means that if the drug is used incorrectly, the treatment regimen is compromised, the bacteria become familiar with the drug and develop resistance to it over time. The worst is that a person who has already developed resistance will infect others with such a resistant bacteria, “said the specialist.

J. Korabliovienė emphasizes that anyone can get tuberculosis, regardless of their education or social class.