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Lisa Powell      Mycobacterium tuberculosis

My human pathogen project is on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis (TB). The disease spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, talks, sings, or sneezes. This releases the bacteria in the air, and someone else close by can inhale the bacteria droplets.

Human beings who are at risk of developing the disease are people with a weakened immune system and living where there is a high infection rate.

The symptoms are fever, fatigue, bloody cough, chest pain, pain when breathing and coughing, night sweats, chills, weight loss, and loss of appetite.

If there is an active TB disease, isolation should take place to prevent others from getting the disease. Wearing a mask can also help. Isolation can last for at least two weeks or longer. There will need to be three consecutive negative sputum smear results plus treatment during that time.

Treatment for the disease may involve inactive TB or active TB treatment plans. Treatment plans for inactive TB may last nine months with medication such as Isoniazid, Rifampin, or Rifapentine. Inactive TB is latent tuberculosis, which means the infection is with TB bacteria and not the active TB disease. Treatment for an active TB disease may also last nine months with medication such as Ethambutol, Isoniazid, Moxifloxacin, Rifampin, Rifapentine, or Pyrazinamide.