According to Crofton (1997) ‘’mycobacterium tuberculosis is the main cause of tuberculosis all over the world’’. According to him, a slightly different types of tuberculosis, mycobacterium africanum, occurs in Africa. The only important difference is that it is often resistant to thioatazone. The bovin bacillus (mycobacterium bovis) at one time caused much infection in cattle in Europe and America, infection was passed on to man through milk.
According to Maher (1997) ‘’early clinical manifestation/symptoms of active tuberculosis may include;
- Weight loss.
- Fever.
- Night sweats.
- Loss of appetite.
He explained further, that symptoms may be vague, however and go unnoticed by the affected persons, for some the disease either goes into remission (halts) or becomes chronic and more debilitating with cough, chest pain, and bloody sputum. He further states that the lungs vary, depending upon the organ or area affected.
The National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) revised Workers’ Manual (1998) opined that ‘’tuberculosis should be suspected if a patient present with the following symptom;
Persistent cough for three weeks or more, with or without expectation on coughing of blood (haemoptysis).
- Chest pain.
- Shortness of breath.
- Loss of weight.
He further argued that ‘’the diagnosis of tuberculosis is much more likely to be correct in patients with these symptoms who have known to be or have been in contact with a tuberculosis patient than among those with no known contact.
He states further that signs and symptoms due to extra-pulmonary tuberculosis usually depend on the site involved, for example;
- Swelling of the lymph nodes (when these are affected).
- Pain and swelling of joint (when they are involved).
- Gibbus/loss of junction in the lower limbs due to tuberculosis of the spine.
- Tuberculosis meningitis produces headache, fever, stiffness of the neck and later mental confusion.
- Genital tuberculosis may cause infertility.
References
Crofton, J. (1997). Guideline of the management if Drug resistance Managing these difficult cases. BMJ 1:13-14
Maher, D. (1997). Treatment of Tuberculosis: Guideline for National programmes. Geneva: WHO.
National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (2002). Revised Worker’s Manual. Luton: Crest Books
