Tuberculosis disease

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Mycobacterium tuberculosis under microscope [1]

Etiology/Bacteriology

Taxonomy

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Stain [2]

Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Actinobacteria
Class: Actinobacteria
Order: Actinomycetales
Family: Mycobacteriaceae
Genus: Mycobacterium
Species: tuberculosis

Description

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Stain [3]

Clinical Features and Symptoms

Mycobacterium tuberculosis presented via X Ray [4]

Host Immune Response

Tuberculosis acts in a two-step mechanism that begins with a primary infection and as the host deteriorates the secondary disease can occur. When infected with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis a healthy individual with a strong immune system presents asymptomatically or with mild flu like symptoms. Due to being of low to no risk, most patients are left with these bacteria growing and colonizing within their body. Pulmonary tuberculosis infections begin with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis invading and reproducing within the macrophages residing in the infected alveoli. As immune cells make their way to the lymph nodes, the adaptive immune response is initiated by T cells. At this point multiple sites of the body are experiencing the process of inflammation. Not much is known about the immune system and how Mycobacterium tuberculosis effects it.

References

1 Conway, Tyrrell. “Genus conway”. “Microbe Wiki” 2013. Volume 1. p. 1-2.