WHAT IS TUBERCULOSIS? Tuberculosis is one of the oldest infectious diseases. As the results of excavations of ancient civilizations show, tuberculosis is as old as humanity. "Consumption", "white death" - this is how tuberculosis was figuratively called at different times. There is reason to believe that it existed before the appearance of man. Some warm-blooded animals also get sick with a disease caused by a human-type pathogen (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Bovine tuberculosis is of the greatest importance. There are other pathogens of tuberculosis: bovine (Mycobacterium bovinus), avian (Mycobacterium avium), which are also capable of causing the disease in humans. It is important to note that tuberculosis as an infectious disease develops in a socially organized human society and in many respects the spread of tuberculosis depends on the organization and well-being of this society.
TUBERCULOSIS IS CONTAGIOUS AND VERY DANGEROUS. Unlike many other infections, it has a chronic and often latent course, which increases the likelihood of spreading tuberculosis by a sick person many times. It is believed that a patient with an" open " form of tuberculosis infects an average of 10-15 people per year. After infection, approximately 8-10% of those infected become ill with some form of tuberculosis during their lifetime. The disease, as a rule, does not occur immediately: from infection to the manifestation of the disease, it can take from several months to several years. An important role is played by the state of the defenses of the infected body and, first of all, the immune system. Therefore, people who have certain risk factors – factors that reduce anti-tuberculosis protection-are more likely to get sick.