Why is open tuberculosis dangerous? Infection due to skin-to-skin contact. Characteristic signs and features of the course

IN modern world There are many diseases that pose a great danger to humanity. Open is one of them. Every year the number of cases increases, and the mortality rate from this infection reaches 2% for every 100 thousand population.

Today it is infection very well studied. The microorganisms that cause this infection, their forms, routes of transmission, and methods of treatment are known. But with all the availability of information, every person may be at risk of infection with this terrible bacillus -.

Forms and routes of infection

Main hallmark open and during diagnosis there will be a release of bacteria (BC “+” or BC “-”). In the open form of tuberculosis, in addition to Koch's bacilli, mucus and specific tuberculous pus can be found in the sputum.

If we examine the discharge from the bronchi through a simple microscope, then mycobacteria will be detected only if there are a large number of them. Modern hardware diagnostics can even detect traces of mycobacteria.

In medicine, there are three forms of tuberculosis, each of which can pose a threat of infection. More details about this in the table.

All three forms include signs of the open form of tuberculosis.

And how can you get infected? Most often, infection occurs by airborne droplets. But it is not necessary to be in close contact with a sick person. Koch bacillus, secreted when coughing, is very resistant to external environment.

It retains its vital activity in dry sputum, on the ground, and on household objects. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is resistant to acids, alkalis, and many disinfectants.

Very rarely, the disease can be transmitted through cuts and wounds (contact with a patient with tuberculosis) or through digestive tract(This route of transmission of open tuberculosis is also dangerous).

First symptoms and risk of infection

Exists whole line symptoms, by the presence of which a diagnosis is made and the disease can be determined: open form of tuberculosis. Most common following symptoms:

The most reliable information about infection can only be obtained through laboratory diagnostics. Accurate up to 100% correct diagnosis“Open pulmonary tuberculosis” can be diagnosed by isolating mycobacteria from sputum (determining test). Bacteria are grown on special media and special staining.

Also to effective methods diagnostics include the following studies:

• bronchoscopy (lung tissue is collected and examined);
• endoscopic examination of other organs (as indicated);
• radiography.

It should be noted that the open form of tuberculosis is treated exclusively in specialized medical institutions– anti-tuberculosis dispensaries.

The first as diseases can be identified using staged tests: Mantoux or Diaskintest reactions. At positive results– consultation with a TB doctor and additional examination are required.

There are several categories of people who belong to groups increased risk. These include:

The risk of infection is greatly influenced by the degree and duration of contact with a sick person:

• a one-time meeting is less dangerous than short-term but frequent communications;
• Living in the same apartment (transmission of infection) increases the risk of infection to almost 90%.

Therapy and prevention

It is very important to consult a doctor at the first sign or suspicion of tuberculosis infection. Self-medication can lead to irreversible consequences. And indiscriminate and uncontrolled use of medications will only develop mycobacteria into stable resistance to them.

Treatment periods for open forms of tuberculosis range from six months to two years. Drug therapy is selected strictly individually (consulted by the attending physician), and for the first few months the patient is in the hospital (until cessation of active release Koch's sticks). It is strictly forbidden to interrupt the course of treatment.

There are a number of treatment regimens based on the following drugs:

• Pyrazinamide;
• Rifampicin;
• Isoniazid;
• Ethambutol.

If over the course of two to three months the selected treatment regimen does not have the desired effect, another one is selected, and the method of administering the drugs is also changed. After completing the course of treatment, laboratory and diagnostic examination for the release of Koch's bacillus into the environment.

When taking the above drugs, a number of symptoms may occur and spread to the body. side effects shown in the table below.

As a result, it should be concluded that to select drug therapy and only a doctor should treat open tuberculosis.

The most effective method Vaccination is an open form of vaccination for children today - the first vaccination is given to the child while still in the maternity hospital.

For the adult population, vaccination is carried out according to indications. The main prevention for them is compliance sanitary standards and improving working conditions. It is necessary to undergo a preventive examination every year, not to expose your health harmful effects, harden the body.

Compliance simple rules will help avoid infection terrible infection and will allow it not to spread in society.

There are few Ukrainians who do not know how sad the situation with tuberculosis is in our country. Refusal of those who have proven high efficiency operating principles of the phthisiatric service during the USSR, meager funding for the industry, insufficient vaccination of the population, unfavorable environmental conditions, a decrease in the level of well-being of citizens, alcoholism and drug addiction - all these factors play into the hands of tuberculosis infection, contributing to a decrease in immune defense, an avalanche-like spread of the disease, and the formation of resistant strains of bacteria , not amenable to treatment with standard combinations of anti-tuberculosis drugs. In the absence of real help from the state, a person is left alone with a dangerous infection and only on himself, his sanitary literacy and willpower depend the chances of healthy life. Most main question What worries the average person is the risk of contracting tuberculosis in various everyday situations. How not to get sick? - let's figure it out.

In order to have a substantive conversation about the possibility of infection with tuberculosis, first of all, we will analyze the meaning of the terms infection (infection) - in relation to tuberculosis, active tuberculosis, open and closed forms of tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis- a unique infection. Entering the body with tuberculosis bacilli (Koch bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis) almost always leads to infection, and very rarely to the development of an active disease. Infection (infection) with Koch's bacillus occurs once in a lifetime - usually in childhood or adolescence, at the first contact of a person with a microorganism. One or two Koch bacilli that enter the child’s respiratory tract along with inhaled air lead to infection and development local inflammation However, thanks to the high activity of the immune system, the body quickly copes with the infection and self-healing occurs. All these processes occur completely unnoticed, have no clinical manifestations and, as a rule, do not lead to the development of active tuberculosis. Doctors learn that tuberculosis infection has occurred from the results of the next Mantoux test, which have very specific characteristics in people infected with the tuberculosis bacillus. Immunologically, the process of infection with the tuberculosis bacillus can be considered a favorable phenomenon, since, thanks to the contact with the pathogen, the human body learns to recognize tuberculosis and fight it - this is how anti-tuberculosis immunity is formed.

Despite the fact that the immune system has overcome the pathogen, a certain amount of mycobacteria remains forever in the human body (mainly in the organs lymphatic system) in an inactive state. The presence of “dormant” bacteria becomes the basis for the development of active tuberculosis in cases where the activity of the immune system decreases and tuberculosis bacilli escape its control. However, this does not always happen - according to statistics, the active form of tuberculosis (that is, tuberculosis with clinical manifestations, specific changes on the radiograph and in the results laboratory tests) develops in only 1-5% of infected people. The risk of developing tuberculosis is highest in the first 2 years after the initial infection - it is during this period of time that an infected person needs to be monitored by a TB specialist and (if indicated) preventive measures acceptance. It must be said that by the age of 20-25, tuberculosis infection occurs in 90-95% of people, and most of these people (despite being infected with tuberculosis) remain healthy. That is infection with tuberculosis is not equivalent to disease!

People infected (contaminated) with tuberculosis are not sick with tuberculosis, do not spread the tuberculosis bacillus and therefore are not dangerous to others. Usually infected with tuberculosis a person, a positive Mantoux test is recorded, while the results of an X-ray of the lungs and sputum analysis do not have any deviations from the norm. Repeated contacts of an infected person with tuberculosis pathogens either have no consequences or break the immune defense and lead to the development of active tuberculosis (usually this occurs with a massive bacterial attack, contact with aggressive strains of the tuberculosis bacillus, temporary or permanent immunodeficiency).

Active tuberculosis that has developed for one reason or another can occur in two forms - open And closed. The open form of tuberculosis (bacterial excretion) is spoken of when, using bacteriological examination (culture) or microscopy, Koch bacilli are detected in the sputum, saliva and other secretions of the patient. If, upon repeated examinations, there are no bacteria in the discharge, the patient suffers from a closed form of the disease. The terms open and closed form tuberculosis are more often used for pulmonary tuberculosis. However, bacterial excretion is also characteristic of other types of tuberculosis - tuberculosis lymph nodes, tuberculosis of the reproductive system, intestinal tuberculosis, etc. The presence of bacterial excretion (BC+) is very important indicator infectious danger of the patient, since tuberculosis can only be contracted from a person who releases mycobacterium tuberculosis into the environment. However, there is one caveat: due to insufficient power laboratory methods studies in some patients with open form of tuberculosis fail to detect mycobacteria in sputum (and other secretions). That is, although officially non-infectious, they pose a serious danger to others. Therefore, no doctor guarantees 100% safety for people who have contact with patients with closed form of tuberculosis. It is believed that contact with such a patient has approximately a 30% probability of leading to the development of an active form of the disease; the risk of infection increases with constant, close, prolonged contact.

So, a patient with an open form of tuberculosis is certainly dangerous, a patient with a closed form is potentially dangerous.

Contact options

The risk of developing tuberculosis directly depends on the nature of contact and determines the preventive measures necessary in each specific case.

Theoretically, the lowest probability of developing the disease is during short-term contacts with a patient with tuberculosis in public transport, public places, stairwells, etc. Simple preventive measures, such as healthy image life, balanced diet and regular annual examination (Mantoux test - for children and adolescents under 15 years of age, fluorography of the lungs - for adolescents over 15 years of age and adults), as well as mandatory hand washing after going outside, regular cleaning and ventilation of premises.

The risk of developing active tuberculosis increases significantly with prolonged and regular contacts with a tuberculosis patient (cohabitation, regular communication at work or in free time), as well as with contacts accompanied by exchange biological fluids(kisses, sexual relations). Healthy people, who find themselves in such a situation fall into the category of “TB contacts” and should be examined by a TB doctor as soon as possible. The purpose of a phthisiological examination is to exclude an active form of tuberculosis in a contact person and to identify indications for chemoprophylaxis with anti-tuberculosis drugs. Examination of contact persons usually includes a tuberculin test (Mantoux test), X-ray examination chest organs, sputum examination for the presence of tuberculosis bacilli, general clinical examinations of blood and urine. Contact children and adolescents are examined 4 times, adults – 2 times a year. Chemoprophylaxis is carried out in people with the highest risk of developing tuberculosis (primarily in people with immunodeficiency states, people exposed to massive exposure to aggressive strains of tuberculosis) using 1-2 anti-tuberculosis drugs prescribed in minimal dosages.

An important preventive measure aimed at reducing the risk of developing the disease is to stop contact with the bacteria-releasing agent. To do this, a patient with an open form of tuberculosis is hospitalized in a hospital; contact persons are advised to temporarily interrupt personal communication with the patient (until the mycobacterium disappears from the discharge), sometimes the patient active form tuberculosis (especially in chronic cases with permanent bacterial excretion) a separate living space is provided. The patient with tuberculosis and his relatives should not consider temporary isolation as a life tragedy - in most cases, if the doctor’s recommendations are followed conscientiously, after 2 months of therapy, bacterial excretion stops and the patient ceases to be dangerous to the people around him. In situations where it is not possible to interrupt contact with a patient with an open form of tuberculosis, all contact persons are subject to long-term preventive therapy with anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Children. Children, due to the peculiarities of the immune system, are at increased risk for the development of active tuberculosis. Therefore, when a person with tuberculosis appears in a family (regardless of the form of the disease), the child’s contact with this relative must be stopped, and the child must be registered with a phthisiatrician. Contacts of tuberculosis and/or primary infected children and adolescents, after examination by a phthisiatrician and exclusion of the active form of tuberculosis, are not contagious, not dangerous to others and can attend children's institutions (kindergartens, schools) even if they receive preventive treatment anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Pregnant. Contact with a tuberculosis patient during pregnancy leads to the development of the disease with almost the same probability as contact in a non-pregnant state. First of all, contact must be interrupted and it must be ensured that it does not recur. A pregnant woman who has been in contact with a patient with tuberculosis must carefully monitor her health and, when the first signs of pulmonary pathology appear, consult a doctor (general practitioner, phthisiatrician) for examination. In case of prolonged contact with a patient with an open form of tuberculosis, the examination of a pregnant woman is carried out according to the generally accepted scheme (with the exception of x-ray examination, which is carried out using special techniques in the presence of strict indications). In most cases, chest X-rays and anti-TB drugs are postponed until postpartum period. Contact with a patient with tuberculosis is under no circumstances an indication for termination of pregnancy. If contact high risk occurred at the stage of pregnancy planning, it is necessary to postpone conception until the danger has completely disappeared.

Prisoners. The risk of developing tuberculosis is very high when in contact with patients serving sentences in prison or former prisoners, since these people in the vast majority of cases are carriers of aggressive strains of tuberculosis that are resistant to most anti-tuberculosis drugs. Relatives visiting sick prisoners (if refusal of visits is impossible for some reason) are recommended to come to visits wearing clothes made from materials resistant to disinfectants, a scarf covering their hair, and a 4-layer gauze mask covering the mouth and nose. After visiting, clothes must be soaked in a disinfectant solution (chlorantoin, Domestos) for 2 hours. During the entire period of increased risk, the contact person must be examined twice a year at a tuberculosis dispensary. You must be prepared for the TB doctor to prescribe preventive anti-tuberculosis treatment. Contacts of children with prisoners with tuberculosis are extremely undesirable.

« Contact without contact" Despite the lack of direct contact with the source of infection, people who live in an apartment (house) where lived before patient with tuberculosis. Koch bacilli remain viable in the environment for a long time (they live in room dust for about a month, in books for 3 months, in dark and basement rooms for up to 4-5 months) and are quite capable of causing disease in new residents. To avoid health problems, before moving in, you need to find out whether the apartment has undergone final disinfection - treatment of the premises by the sanitary-epidemiological station. If disinfection has been carried out, you need to make cosmetic repairs and then feel free to move into your new home. If disinfection has not been carried out, living in the apartment before it is carried out is highly not recommended.

To conclude the topic, let us list the situations associated with tuberculosis contact in which it is necessary urgent consultation phthisiatrician (or therapist), and also provide recommendations for basic tuberculosis prevention.

An examination by a phthisiatrician regarding contact with a patient with tuberculosis is indicated in the following cases:

1. In case of close, prolonged contact with a bacteria excretor.
2. If there are any close relatives who have had tuberculosis (indicates a possible genetic predisposition to the disease).
3. In the presence of diseases or conditions that cause a decrease in immune activity, including when undergoing therapy with hormonal or cytostatic drugs.
4. In the presence of bad habits(smoking, alcohol abuse, drug addiction), chronic stress.
5. If children and adolescents came into contact with the patient.

Within a year after stopping contact with a patient with active tuberculosis, it is necessary to pay attention to the following symptoms, the appearance of which should be the reason for a premature X-ray of the lungs and consultation with a phthisiatrician:

1. Long-term, causeless loss of body weight.
2. Dry cough lasting more than 3 weeks.
3. Low-grade body temperature.
4. Enlarged peripheral lymph nodes.
5. Increasing weakness, drowsiness.
6. Pain in chest, hemoptysis.

To reduce the likelihood of developing tuberculosis after known or suspected contact, it is recommended:

1. Do not smoke or drink strong alcoholic drinks, beer, or low-alcohol mixtures.
2. Consume at least 150 - 200 g of foods rich in animal fats (meat, fish, eggs, milk, etc.) per day.
3. Consume enough vitamins of all groups.
4. Do not consume synthetic products (chips, fast food).
5. More often be on fresh air and lead active image life.
6. Avoid repeated close contact with people with active tuberculosis.
7. Undergo regular preventive examination (lung fluorography).

Finally

Tuberculosis is dangerous, one cannot but agree with this, but the situation is not hopeless. Modern medicine makes it possible to fight this disease, and timely prevention helps prevent its development. Be attentive to yourself and your loved ones, lead a healthy lifestyle, do not hesitate to seek advice and help from doctors - this will increase your chances of a healthy life. long life. Take care of your health!

The bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis becomes especially active in an organism with weakened immunity, which is unable to fight the harmful pathogen. In addition to the lungs, in pathological process Any organ may be involved.

The open form of tuberculosis for others is that pathogens enter the air when the patient sneezes. For the infected organism itself, the threat lies in the slow destruction of lung cells due to localization infectious process In one place.

You can quickly cope with tuberculosis using crushed leaves and stems of motherwort and chicory roots, taken in equal parts. The brewed mixture is consumed three times a day, half a glass.

Subtypes of open forms of tuberculosis and their signs

The affected lesion becomes caseous, or cheesy, and subsequently calcifies. This process is revealed by the results of a chest x-ray.

Secondary tuberculosis, which occurs in an open form, is also characterized by scarring and calcification of the lesions. In some patients, the pathology is complemented or spreads with the bloodstream in different organs, bones and even soft meninges.

Due to the similarity of the affected organs to large amounts of millet, this form was given the name “miliary tuberculosis” (milium translated as “millet”). The symptoms in this case are already pronounced, and within a few months the disease reaches its apogee.

Clinical signs of open tuberculosis

Anise seeds, 20 g of which are poured with half a liter of boiling water, will help relieve a debilitating tuberculosis cough. After 60 minutes of infusion, the product is filtered and consumed hourly, 3 tablespoons.

The lack of routine medical examinations, open migration of people from countries affected by the disease, and illiteracy of the population have led to the fact that in the twenty-first century there is still a high risk of contracting an open form of tuberculosis, since this disease is transmitted in several ways.

On the way to work, at school or in the store, you can meet a person with an open, active form of the disease who spreads mycobacteria around him without even knowing it.

The paradox of the situation is that the open form of tuberculosis has been studied thoroughly, but there are no available rapid tests or new effective medicines for the disease has not been invented. Therapy is carried out with drugs that were used for treatment twenty years ago. Even in prosperous countries, the mortality rate from tuberculosis is high.

In contact with

What is open form of tuberculosis?

There is an open and closed form of the disease. The open form is most often transmitted: a person becomes a spreader of the bacilli by coughing or in any other way. This happens due to the rupture of the capsule, which protects the mycobacterium from attacks by the immune system. Opening the capsule leads to the penetration of Koch's bacillus into the blood, through which it spreads throughout the body and is transmitted to others.

The favorite localization of mycobacteria is the lung tissue, so most often the disease affects the lungs. But in the case of a generalized form of tuberculosis, any organ, including the brain, can become infected.

Upon penetration into tissue, cell destruction begins, with the formation of deep cavities. The area of ​​tissue decay depends on the duration of the disease and the timeliness of treatment. Without promptly initiated therapy, a patient with an open, active form of tuberculosis dies.

The main signs of open tuberculosis

The open form in its active stage has symptoms indicating the presence of infection in the body:

• A cough, especially severe during exertion, at night, may be accompanied by the release of blood from the lungs, and the maximum amount of bacteria is transmitted to others;
• copious sputum production, the amount of which can reach one hundred milliliters per day;
• night sweats;
• heat;
• severe weakness, apathy, decreased vitality;
• weight loss without following any diets, a person loses a lot of weight in a short time.

Routes of transmission

The main route by which the open form of tuberculosis is transmitted is airborne. It is not necessary to have close contact with the sick person, since particles of saliva released when coughing contain thousands of mycobacteria. Koch's bacillus is very resistant to damage, survives well in the external environment and is transmitted through the air.

In order to become infected, you just need to inhale air with dust particles on which bacteria have settled, or use dishes from which the patient ate. Street cafes, train stations, public transport are potentially dangerous places for contracting tuberculosis; this is where the infection is transmitted.

Contact with a sick person: what is the risk of infection?

The patient may not know that he is progressing until hemoptysis begins (open form). The symptoms of tuberculosis often resemble ordinary or. During this period of time, he actively spreads mycobacteria around himself, (they are transmitted by all means) which infect others. There is a certain risk of infection, the degree of which during contact with a patient depends on:

• Duration of communication with a carrier of an open type of disease. A chance one-time meeting is less dangerous than regular, albeit short-term contacts;
• density of communication. Living in the same area as a sick person will most likely lead to infection, because the bacterium is transmitted in several ways, while collaboration less dangerous in terms of infection;

One kiss or sexual contact more dangerous than fleeting, albeit regular meetings.

• health status. A strong immune system can protect against the attack of Koch's bacillus and does not cause problems, even if the contact with the patient was close and prolonged.

Preventive measures: how to avoid getting sick

If it turns out that someone in your environment or family suffers from tuberculosis, which is transmitted rapidly, you should take preventive measures to protect yourself from the disease:

• Be sure to consult a phthisiatrician. The doctor will prescribe the necessary examination and preventive course of medications;
• within six months it is necessary to organize enhanced nutrition, with a predominance of natural protein foods and animal fats. In the past, it was high-quality nutrition that helped cure consumptive patients.;

Fresh air and lack of stress - required condition in the fight against tuberculosis of any form. It is necessary to ensure immune system all conditions for a full fight against mycobacteria.

• It is advisable to lead a healthy, planned, measured lifestyle, eliminate alcohol intake for the entire period of prevention, and quit smoking. According to statistics, smoking is especially dangerous for those infected with mycobacteria, as it has an extremely negative effect on the condition respiratory tract, aggravating the patient's condition;
• the room should be treated with special solutions. This is primarily done by employees of the sanitary and epidemiological station. Over the next few months, daily wet cleaning and ventilation of the house and textiles are necessary.

From person to person? It's pretty frequently asked question. Let's take a closer look in this article. Pulmonary tuberculosis has been a cause of death for many centuries, along with diseases such as Bubonic plague, scurvy and malaria.

Description of the disease

Tuberculosis has been known since ancient times. Even ancient Roman and ancient Greek doctors described cases pulmonary consumption. Hippocrates and Aristotle talked about increased danger infection for people close to sick people. Even some ancient Egyptian mummies, and their age is very respectable and is more than 4 thousand years, had bones affected by tuberculosis. The name of the disease itself comes from the Latin word, which means “tubercle”. Over the past hundred years, medicines and treatment methods have received qualitatively new developments, but it is not always possible to overcome this disease. That is why it is very important to have information about how you can become infected with tuberculosis. In what cases will contact with an infected person lead to illness? We will try to answer these questions in this article.

Probability of infection

Not so long ago, all television channels broadcast programs with frightening messages about bird or swine flu. They called for mass vaccinations, conducting preventive measures and provided advice regarding medications. But for some reason they are silent about such a serious and very common disease. But so far it has not been possible to eradicate it completely. Moreover, today it is one of the most common diseases on a planetary scale. In order to study the methods of transmission of the disease and its features, there is a whole section in phthisiology - the epidemiology of tuberculosis. Symptoms and first signs of the disease must be identified in a timely manner.

What do the statistics say?

Statistics tell us that every third person on the planet is infected with this disease and almost a quarter of them die from of this disease. Moreover, in most cases, infected people live in developed countries and large civilized cities. And every year there are eight million more people infected. Statistics show that even high level development medical science and careful study of tuberculosis does not allow us to exclude high probability infection that can affect anyone. The ways in which the pathogen enters the human body have been sufficiently studied. Abundance of people in in public places and transport, crowded living in a limited area - all this makes it possible for the disease to spread with greater intensity.

Each of us should know how you can become infected with tuberculosis.

Pathogen

The main source of infection is Koch's bacillus. It was discovered and studied quite a long time ago, but scientists still do not know how it can be completely eradicated. The reason for this is very simple - the stick has a good defense mechanism and a very high level of adaptability to environmental factors. It can withstand 30 minutes in boiling water, and in ordinary water it can remain viable for up to five months. Even many types of acids are not capable of harming it. Therefore, blood tests for tuberculosis should be taken regularly.

Weak point of bacteria

IN normal conditions, being on furniture and various household items, it retains the ability to live for up to 21 days. Therefore, defeating an infection with the help of immune cells can be difficult. However, she also has weakness. Bacteria cannot tolerate direct sun rays, after two hours of exposure to the sun they are not capable of living. In addition, due to its protection, the rod quietly moves through the body and multiplies slowly. All this is the reason that the first period of development of the disease is long and makes it possible to fight the infection very effectively. It is very important to have information about how you can become infected with tuberculosis because it for a long time may not manifest itself in any way and proceed hidden.

Methods of infection

Transmission of infection can occur in different ways, but the most common is airborne. However, you should always remember that there remains a danger of infection through contaminated water, tactile contact with places where the stick is common, and consumption of contaminated food. Although, of course, the leading position here is occupied by aerogenic method transmission of infection.

Prevention

Preventive measures against this disease are simple and known to everyone since childhood:

• try to spend less time in crowded places;
• exclude contact with tuberculosis patients (do not kiss, do not communicate, do not be in the same room with them);
• when visiting a tuberculosis clinic, wear a mask and avoid contact with patients;
• strengthen the immune system.

By contacting one patient, 20 people can become infected at once. Typically, the method of infection raises many questions: is infection possible through sexual contact, is it transmitted hereditarily, etc. Experts give detailed answers to them:

• pulmonary tuberculosis is transmitted by kissing a patient suffering from the open form of the disease;

• transmission of the disease through sexual contact is also possible, even if tuberculosis is not pulmonary;
• infection is possible during medical procedures(injections, droppers);
• there is a form of tuberculosis in which the infection is transmitted through the placenta from a sick mother to the fetus;
• infection is highly likely to occur if you are in a room where the patient often stays;
• When using the things of an infected person without the necessary treatment, the likelihood of infection is also very high.

The fight against tuberculosis is now very urgent. But it is important to know that by inheritance this pathology cannot be transmitted. In principle, you can get tuberculosis in any place where a carrier of its open form has been. But, fortunately for us, in most cases the number of sticks is negligible. They simply do not have time to reach the mucous membrane and die.

One hundred percent infection

In fact, the only chance of definitely getting sick is communicating with a person who has open form tuberculosis. In order to understand the mechanism of infection, you do not need to have medical education, you just need to understand the principle. The disease provokes the development inflammatory process in the body, accompanied by the appearance of small tubercles. In most cases, the disease affects the lungs and bronchi.

The infection process is carried out as follows: they enter the body pathogenic bacteria and spread by bronchopulmonary, lymphogenous and hematogenous routes. Single or multiple tubercles form in the patient's lungs. Tuberculosis has two forms: closed and open. At first, mycobacteria are contained in the tubercles themselves, without leaving them. In this case, the patient does not pose a threat to others, and it is impossible to become infected from him. The second form is extremely dangerous because the pathogen is released along with sputum.

You need to know the symptoms and first signs of tuberculosis in order to recognize the disease in time.

Preventive measures

If you have already suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, then you need to take care of safety measures as carefully as a person who has never had it. After all, you can become infected with this disease a second time. It is necessary to take care of your health and not neglect prevention. Even if bacteria enter the body, this does not always lead to the development of a disease. If immune cells are functioning well, infection will not occur. That is why it is very important to take care of your immune system and strengthen it, as well as take a test for tuberculosis. To prevent the onset of the disease, you need to organize several aspects of your life in the right way:

• Study physical culture and sports.
• Eat right, introduce into your diet healthy foods with enough useful substances.
• Visit your doctor regularly and follow his recommendations regarding treatment vitamin complexes. This will help reduce the risk of contracting tuberculosis.

Of particular importance is the diet and its content of fats and proteins in the required quantities. Consulting a nutritionist in this matter, of course, will not hurt, but in principle it is enough if the ratio of nutrients in the body is balanced. Use not recommended large quantity fatty, spicy, fried foods. You should give preference to vegetables rich in fiber. It is best to take vitamins on the recommendation of a doctor: he will adjust the composition of the complex and the dosage that is necessary for you. At correct observance of the above preventive measures, even Koch’s wand will not be scary for you. But still, in case of any suspicion, it is better to take a blood test for tuberculosis.

Features of the disease occurring in a closed form

Koch's stick, hitting human body, affects tissues of the respiratory organs or lymphatic system. Since it is contained inside the tubercle, the lesion gradually heals, but a compaction forms on the tissue. This process represents the first stage. If the infection enters the patient’s blood, several lesions form - this is what the second stage looks like. The course of the disease in this form is not accompanied by the release of mycobacteria, that is, the patient is not dangerous to others. To determine the presence of pathology in the body, its form and stage, it is necessary to undergo a special test for tuberculosis.

How to determine?

You can determine if a person has an infection by medical institution, after spending medical examination with help:

• Mantoux reactions;
• fluorography;
• radiography;
• bacteriological examination of throat discharge;
• ELISA diagnostics for the presence of antibodies to Koch's bacillus in the body.

We looked at how you can become infected with tuberculosis.