Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that can pass through the air between people. When it affects the lungs, the medical name for this is pulmonary tuberculosis. It can cause chest pain, severe coughing, and a range of other symptoms. Tuberculosis (TB) bacteria mainly grow in the lungs, but they can infect other parts of the […]
Researchers have managed to synthesize two scorpion venom compounds that are effective against some strains of highly infectious bacteria. The compounds are also unlikely to harm humans, the scientists reassure us. Detail of photograph showing Prof. Richard Zare holding a Diplocentrus melici, a type of scorpion with venom that has healing potential.Image credit: Edson N. […]
New research explores the structure of a natural self-destructive mechanism contained in the bacterium that causes tuberculosis in humans. Exploiting this mechanism using these new findings may soon lead to better treatments. Scientists move closer to the ‘perfect TB drug,’ after zooming in on the bacterium that causes it. In the United States, more than […]
Lower respiratory tract infections are any infections in the lungs or below the voice box. These include pneumonia, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. A lower respiratory tract infection can affect the airways, such as with bronchitis, or the air sacs at the end of the airways, as in the case of pneumonia. In this article, we look […]
The purified protein derivative test confirms whether someone has had exposure to tuberculosis, a serious infectious disease. A positive test result indicates that the person may have a tuberculosis infection, but it does not necessarily mean that they have active tuberculosis. Tuberculosis, or TB, is a bacterial infection that can affect any part of the […]
Atelectasis is a partial or total collapse of one or both of the lungs. It occurs when tiny air sacs in the lungs known as alveoli deflate. Bibasilar atelectasis is the collapse of the lowest lobes in both lungs. Bibasilar atelectasis can cause severe complications if left untreated. How doctors deal with it will vary […]
New research shows that rats can detect up to 70 percent more cases of tuberculosis in children than standard smear tests. The findings may help to treat a significant number of children who have previously been overlooked. Doctors need better tools to detect TB in children. The World Health Organization (WHO) say that tuberculosis (TB) […]
Drug resistance has emerged as one of the biggest threats to public health, highlighting the dire need for new antibiotics and improvements to existing ones. A new study may have brought us one step closer to such a feat, after identifying a type of onion that may help to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis. Researchers reveal how […]
A new report from the World Health Organization confirms that, worryingly, there are now limited treatment options for some of the most common drug-resistant infections, which highlights the desperate need for new antibiotics. The WHO say that there are not enough new drugs in the pipeline to help combat antimicrobial resistance. But despite this need, the […]
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease caused by an infection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. A TB skin test is the first method a doctor will use to try to determine if a person has TB. This article explores what happens during a TB skin test, what the results might mean, and what to do once […]