The Extremadura Health Service (SES) detected three positives in the study of 24 contacts of a tuberculosis case registered at CEIP Youth from Badajoz, awaiting the results of additional tests to confirm whether they have the disease.
On November 5, the Health Directorate of the Badajoz Region received notification of the case from a private clinic in the city.
From this moment, according to sources from the Ministry of Health, all epidemiological surveillance mechanisms established in the protocols of the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (Renave) and the Extremadura Epidemiological Surveillance Network.
The 24 contacts studied linked to this case of tuberculosis gave a result of three positive. The counseling service maintains communication with the parents of the students and the teachers of the center to inform them of the development of the case.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a infectious disease caused for him tuberculosis bacillusa bacteria that usually affects the lungs. It is spread through the air when a sick person coughs, sneezes or spits. Tuberculosis can be prevented and cured. Infected people who have not become ill do not transmit the disease. Tuberculosis is usually treated with antibiotics and can be fatal if left untreated.
Symptoms
People with tuberculosis infection They do not show symptoms and cannot transmit the bacillus, and only a portion are sick and show symptoms. Babies and children They are more likely to get sick.
Tubercle bacilli can multiply in the body and affect various organs, in which case the person is considered to have tuberculosis. Symptoms may be mild for several months, making it easier for them to inadvertently spread to other people. Additionally, some people with tuberculosis have no symptoms.
The usual symptoms of tuberculosis are:
- prolonged cough (sometimes with blood)
- chest pain
- asthenia
- fatigue
- weight loss
- fever
- night sweats.
Prevention
To help prevent TB infection and its spread, follow these steps:
- See a doctor if you develop symptoms such as prolonged cough, fever, and unexplained weight loss, as early treatment of TB can help stop its spread and increase the chances of recovery.
- Get tested for TB infection if you are at higher risk, for example if you are infected with HIV or if you have contact at home or at work with people with TB.
- Complete TB preventive treatment as prescribed by your doctor, as it prevents the infection from progressing and causing symptoms.
- If you have tuberculosis, practice cough hygiene: avoid contact with other people, wear a mask, cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and properly dispose of sputum and sputum. used tissues.
- Specific measures, such as the use of masks and respirators, are important to reduce infections in health care and other settings.
Diagnosis
WHO recommends that all people with signs and symptoms of tuberculosis undergo a rapid molecular diagnostic test as an initial test. The rapid diagnostic tests recommended by WHO (Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra and Truenat) are highly accurate and help to significantly improve the early detection of TB, including drug-resistant TB. The tuberculin test, interferon-γ release test, or newer antigen skin tests can be used to determine if a person is infected.
Treatment
Tuberculosis is treated with specific antibiotics. Treatment is recommended for both TB infection and the disease itself.
The most commonly used antibiotics are:
- isoniazid
- rifampicin
- pyrazinamide
- ethambutol.
To be effective, these medications must be taken daily for 4 to 6 months. It is dangerous to stop treatment prematurely or without medical advice, because the tuberculosis bacilli present in the body could acquire resistance to the drugs.
When TB does not respond to standard medications, it is called “drug-resistant” and requires treatment with other medications.
