Tuberculosis: A review

Abstract

Summary

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease of bacterial origin caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), which is a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is also known as Koch bacillus or tubercle bacillus. The burden of TB has remained a problem due to factors that have promoted and fostered transmission, including increasing resistance of the disease to the most effective first-line anti-TB drugs. There is the need for cases to be diagnosed early and managed appropriately by skilled and knowledgeable health care workers (HCWs). Reports of low level of knowledge concerning TB among some HCWs during the 2016 hajj prompted this review which was prepared using articles on TB searched on various websites of international institutions like the world health organization (WHO), the United States center for disease control and prevention (CDC) and PubMed. Here we provide a brief history of tuberculosis and an overview of the current literature on, basic classification of, immunology, public health concerns and treatment guidelines of TB. The information provided will be a useful guide for HCWs and the general public.