Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
It mainly affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain.
TB is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and it can also be spread by sharing needles or other injection equipment contaminated with infected blood.
Symptoms of TB can include coughing, chest pain, coughing up blood, fatigue, fever, night sweats, and weight loss.
However, not everyone infected with TB will develop symptoms, and the disease can lie dormant in the body for years.
TB is treatable with antibiotics, but the treatment can be long and complex, lasting for six to nine months or longer.
Treatment involves a combination of several medications to prevent the development of drug-resistant strains of TB.
It is important to complete the full course of treatment, even if symptoms improve, to prevent the spread of the disease and to ensure that the bacteria are completely eradicated from the body.
Prevention of TB includes avoiding close contact with infected individuals, vaccination, and early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Screening for TB is recommended for people who are at high risk, such as those with weakened immune systems or who have been in close contact with an infected person.
Classification of Anti-tubercular
Anti-tubercular agents can also be classified into synthetic anti-tubercular agents and anti-tubercular antibiotics, based on their chemical nature and mode of action.
I. Synthetic anti-tubercular agents:
These are chemically synthesized compounds that have anti-tubercular activity.
They can be further classified into several categories based on their mechanism of action, such as: