Question

During natural disasters like hurricanes, when the community is living in shelters, why would there be a concern about a tuberculosis outbreak? What circumstances have led to the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis? Mary, a nurse, skin test was positive for tuberculosis. Does this mean she has tuberculosis? Explain.

Answer 1

1.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by bacterial infection. THis disease is commonly found to have spread through droplet infection, throuhg air and cough and sneezing of droplets from infected person to the healthy person. In case of natural disaster like hurricane, the displacement of people into shelters provide opprtunity for infections. Due to lack of clean water, close affinity towards one another, living in crowded shelters, and diminished sanitation brings about chalelnges and risk for development and outbreak of tuberculosis like infections.

2.

There are some crucial circumstances that have led to drug resistance tuberculosis, drug resistant tuberculosis occurs when the drugs used for TB are misused and mismanaged. Some example of misuse or mismanagement of these drugs include-

patient's do not complete the full course or regime of TB drugs, wrong prescription by the healthcar eproviders, poor quality drugs and improper accessibility to drugs.

3.

The Mantoux skin test is done to identify the exposure towards the tuberculosis infection in the body. IN given case the Mary the nurse is found positive for this skin test, this signifies that she has been exposed to tuberculosis infection from any infected person in past and has a latent disease that is not usually in active form. THis test does not signify that the individual is having tuberculosis, but it implies the past exposure of the individual with the pathogen