Understanding Tuberculosis - Global Experiences and Innovative Approaches to the Diagnosis

Edited by Pere-Joan Cardona, ISBN 978-953-307-938-7, Hard cover, 552 pages, Publisher: InTech, Published: February 15, 2012 under CC BY 3.0 license, in subject Infectious Diseases
DOI: 10.5772/1483

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a disease that is transmitted through aerosol. This is the reason why it is estimated that a third of humankind is already infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The vast majority of the infected do not know about their status. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a silent pathogen, causing no symptomatology at all during the infection. In addition, infected people cannot cause further infections. Unfortunately, an estimated 10 per cent of the infected population has the probability to develop the disease, making it very difficult to eradicate. Once in this stage, the bacilli can be transmitted to other persons and the development of clinical symptoms is very progressive. Therefore the diagnosis, especially the discrimination between infection and disease, is a real challenge. In this book, we present the experience of worldwide specialists on the diagnosis, along with its lights and shadows.

This book is indexed in:

Worldcat Base AZ ebsco Scirus Google Scholar

Book contents