How fast does tuberculosis reproduce

The bacillus has a rod-shaped body and is approximately 0. It cannot be seen with the naked eye; one needs a microscope to detect it.

Inside the bacillus are so-called organelles, small micro-units that ensure that the bacillus can create the energy it needs to survive. In its anatomy, mycobacterium tuberculosis resembles a lot of other bacteria, but it has unique features that make it difficult to diagnose and treat. Its cell wall is extraordinarily thick and complex. It is these mycolic acids that are also responsible for a particular characteristic of all mycobacteria, which is used to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis in diagnostic tests.

Usually bacteria are identified by adding coloring agents to the laboratory surface on which they grow. Different bacteria have different ways of responding to staining agents, and this allows scientists to differentiate between them. Because of its thick cell wall with the mycolic acids, mycobacterium tuberculosis does not respond very well to staining agents. In fact, it is very difficult to stain any mycobacterium.

There is one specific technique to stain mycobacterium: the Ziehl-Neelsen stain, named after the two German doctors who first described it. The current treatment regime involves taking multiple medications over an extended period of time. Materials provided by University of British Columbia. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Science News. ScienceDaily, 15 May University of British Columbia.

Retrieved November 13, from www. The newly discovered TB disease in the lungs or throat can be infectious. This means that the bacteria can be spread to other people. TB in other parts of the body, such as the kidney or spine, is usually not infectious. People with TB disease are most likely to spread it to people they spend time with every day. This includes family members, friends, and coworkers or schoolmates. Learn about latent TB infection and TB disease.

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