TB

Cover Your Mouth When You Cough

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is defined by signs and symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, weight loss, fatigue, fever, chills, and many others. According to the CDC, this disease is the number one killer world wide and it has spread to every country on the planet. What is scary though, is that TB is becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant and harder to control. The disease spreads through coughing and sneezing as droplets are suspended in the air and are inhaled or land in the mouth or nose of another person close by. Thus, since controlling the air quality throughout an entire country is impossible this disease spreads quickly. Also, it does not help that in many places, the illness goes unreported and thus spreads like a wildfire.

According to the same CDC article, the reason TB is becoming increasingly resistant is primarily due to improper treatment measures and protocol. Basically, when people receive medication, they do not finish it or take it correctly, allowing the bacterium to adapt and become unaffected by it. Other factor include healthcare providers prescribing the wrong dose/length of time, a lack of availability of treatment, and poor quality drugs. For these reasons and in an attempt to protect its own citizens, the United States began a program in 2016 partnering with 25 different countries to combat the spread of TB. The measures being taken include improving screening methods of diagnosis and tracking, improving treatment methods and making them more accessible, and breaking the transmission cycle by targeting TB hotspots and improving care in the surrounding areas to prevent the hotspot from growing.

It is scary to think that the resistance of this bacteria to so many different treatments has gone so far that efforts are being concentrated in preventing the spread rather than searching for better treatments. This almost sounds like a zombie apocalypse and the classic quarantine attempt. The question is, will these identification measures work quicker than the TB bacteria?

Sunny D

Recent developments in MDR-TB research points to vitamin D promoting the clearance of TB bacterium from the lungs of MDR-TB infected patients. Researchers at the Queen Mary University of London, have discovered that adding vitamin D to the antibiotics being used against these aggressive TB bacterium can boost the immune system to aid those antibiotics in fighting the infection. So, instead of looking for more medicines to attack the bugs, scientists are turning back to the immune system and the human body for back-up. Not only has this found to be quite effective in over 1,850 patients, but it is inexpensive and virtually accessible to everyone via….the sun. The reason science is resorting back to the basics is because, as the article states, trying to “keep up” with the bacterium is not working. TB is always a step ahead. So instead of trying to find new fancy ways to outsmart the bacterium, we are calling for reinforcements. This new addition is non-toxic too, which is in stark contrast to most TB drugs being used against MDR-TB. Science is looking more towards “host-directed therapies” rather than drug therapies.

It is important to note that the addition of Vitamin D does not, by itself or even with the antibiotics, completely clear TB from the lungs more effectively, it just speeds up the process. So for now, the bacterium is still ahead of us humans, but slow and steady wins the race right?