http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003736012_tb06.html
A lawyer from Atlanta, Andrew Speaker, has a strain of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Doctors had told him not to go out into public, to reduce the risk of spreading tuberculosis. Andrew ignored the doctor's orders and instead went to Italy for his honeymoon. He was immediately retrieved from his trip and brought to Denver where he was quarantined in a special facility. After tests at the facility, Andrew came up negative for all of them. This doesn't mean that Andrew doesn't have tuberculosis though. Doctors have proven that 10 of 14 drugs used to treat tuberculosis had no effect on Andrews strain of TB. Although Andrew is infected with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis, scientists and doctors have found that he has a very low chance of spreading the disease. He seems perfectly healthy, but doctors are still trying to find a cure to eliminate his tuberculosis.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Isoniazid - Tuberculosis Drug
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682401.html
Tuberculosis is treated with a drug called Isoniazid, which kills active tuberculosis bacteria. This drug is available as a tablet or a liquid. It can be used to prevent tuberculosis in a host that has come in contact with the disease. Although, the drug needs to be taken over a long period of time to ensure that all of the TB bacteria is destroyed. If the drug is not taken properly, or the person infected with tuberculosis stops taking the medication before the bacteria is gone, drug-resistant tuberculosis could be created. Different strains of drug-resistant tuberculosis are very dangerous and can't be cured by taking drugs. They are cureable but the patient needs to go through years of chemotherapy before they are cured of tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis is treated with a drug called Isoniazid, which kills active tuberculosis bacteria. This drug is available as a tablet or a liquid. It can be used to prevent tuberculosis in a host that has come in contact with the disease. Although, the drug needs to be taken over a long period of time to ensure that all of the TB bacteria is destroyed. If the drug is not taken properly, or the person infected with tuberculosis stops taking the medication before the bacteria is gone, drug-resistant tuberculosis could be created. Different strains of drug-resistant tuberculosis are very dangerous and can't be cured by taking drugs. They are cureable but the patient needs to go through years of chemotherapy before they are cured of tuberculosis.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Gathered Materials
Over the weekend, Raymond, Alex, and I all got together at Raymond's house. We thought about what we needed to make our product really good. We were able to go to Home Depot to get a board and some hinges. We will be drawing a map of South Africa, and pasting it on our board. This will enable us to attach hinges to the map with flaps of wood, covering answers to questions about tuberculosis and its effect on South Africa. We only got a few hinges because we didn't want to get too much, and we could always get more later. The board we got was really long so we're going to cut off part of the board and use that to create the flaps.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Plans for the weekend
Raymond, Alex, and I have all decided to work on our project during the weekend. We have all chosen to work at Raymond's house, after gathering all of our supplies. Our main focus is to start our project, and have at least half of our map drawn. I will be drawing our map and it should be finished tuesday, June 5th. We hope to get a lot of work done during the weekend so that we'll be ahead of schedule, so we have time to revise and fix and problems that we might have.
We have also decided to research the present problem of tuberculosis, regarding the case of the man who was diagnosed with Multi Drug-resistant (MDR) Tuberculosis. This type of TB is immune to medical drugs used to treat tuberculosis. It is only treatable by long term chemotherapy. Currently, the man has been quarantined in Denver at a special facility. This case is becoming more serious because of the possibility that the man could have spread MDR TB, since it is contagious by contact. 
We have also decided to research the present problem of tuberculosis, regarding the case of the man who was diagnosed with Multi Drug-resistant (MDR) Tuberculosis. This type of TB is immune to medical drugs used to treat tuberculosis. It is only treatable by long term chemotherapy. Currently, the man has been quarantined in Denver at a special facility. This case is becoming more serious because of the possibility that the man could have spread MDR TB, since it is contagious by contact.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Our Project
So for our project, my group and I have decided to set deadlines and jobs for each member of the group. Raymond will be responsible for creating the question and answer part of our project, Alex will be assembling the map and questions onto our presentation board, and I will be drawing the map. The deadlines we have set are:
1) Have all materials collected by Monday, June 4th
2)Finish drawing the map by Tuesday, June 5th
Those are the two most important parts of the project that we need to worry about right now. We had decided to go to someone's house and head out to Michael's or some place where we can buy all of our needed materials.
1) Have all materials collected by Monday, June 4th
2)Finish drawing the map by Tuesday, June 5th
Those are the two most important parts of the project that we need to worry about right now. We had decided to go to someone's house and head out to Michael's or some place where we can buy all of our needed materials.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Leading Infectious Killer
www.ifpri.org/2020/focus/focus05/focus05_05.asp
Ariel Pablos-Mendez
February 2001
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's leading infectious killer of young and middle-aged adults, causing 26 percent of avoidable deaths in the developing world. The Global Burden of Disease study (see brief 2 in this collection) places TB among the seven leading causes of lost Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) well into the 21st century.
TB is a highly infectious airborne disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Crowded homes and congregate settings (such as shelters, hospitals, and prisons) tend to foster transmission. Although pulmonary TB is the most common form, the disease can affect virtually any organ (for example, lymph nodes, brain, and genitals). Classical clinical manifestations include coughing (sometimes bloody), fever, and weight loss. The germ may remain dormant for years before it emerges as "active" disease. While activation of dormant infection is hard to predict, TB emerges most commonly among people with compromised immunity, such as those with malnutrition, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS infection.
Ariel Pablos-Mendez
February 2001
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's leading infectious killer of young and middle-aged adults, causing 26 percent of avoidable deaths in the developing world. The Global Burden of Disease study (see brief 2 in this collection) places TB among the seven leading causes of lost Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) well into the 21st century.
TB is a highly infectious airborne disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Crowded homes and congregate settings (such as shelters, hospitals, and prisons) tend to foster transmission. Although pulmonary TB is the most common form, the disease can affect virtually any organ (for example, lymph nodes, brain, and genitals). Classical clinical manifestations include coughing (sometimes bloody), fever, and weight loss. The germ may remain dormant for years before it emerges as "active" disease. While activation of dormant infection is hard to predict, TB emerges most commonly among people with compromised immunity, such as those with malnutrition, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS infection.
------------------------------- Response -------------------------------
I found it interesting that TB was the leading infectious killer. Why is TB so threatening when it can be so easily treated? It was really interesting to find out that tuberculosis can stay in someone's body for a long amount of time without being "active". Will tuberculosis continue to be an increasing threat? When will third world countries gain easy access to the drugs?
Sunday, May 27, 2007
South Africa TB
http://www.amref.org/index.asp?PageID=50&PiaID=2
Tuberculosis has been a rising problem in South Africa. Over the years, tuberculosis has been an increasing threat to South Africa and its people. Tuberculosis is now considered and emergency to South Africa, as HIV has increased the impact of TB on South Africans. Because of South Africa's limited access to resources, tuberculosis has become a big problem in Africa. Many people in South Africa have no idea that there is a treatable drug for tuberculosis or they have no money or access to these types of drugs.
Because a large amount of South Africa's people have AIDS/HIV, they are more susceptible to the effects of tuberculosis. This makes South Africa one of the most affected countries by this disease.
It's sad how the people living in South Africa have no choice on where they live and how much money they have. They aren't able to cure easily treatable diseases. Why doesn't South Africa have easy access to drugs that cure TB? If tuberculosis is so easily cured, how come the rate of TB in South Africa is increasing instead of decreasing?
Tuberculosis has been a rising problem in South Africa. Over the years, tuberculosis has been an increasing threat to South Africa and its people. Tuberculosis is now considered and emergency to South Africa, as HIV has increased the impact of TB on South Africans. Because of South Africa's limited access to resources, tuberculosis has become a big problem in Africa. Many people in South Africa have no idea that there is a treatable drug for tuberculosis or they have no money or access to these types of drugs.
Because a large amount of South Africa's people have AIDS/HIV, they are more susceptible to the effects of tuberculosis. This makes South Africa one of the most affected countries by this disease.
It's sad how the people living in South Africa have no choice on where they live and how much money they have. They aren't able to cure easily treatable diseases. Why doesn't South Africa have easy access to drugs that cure TB? If tuberculosis is so easily cured, how come the rate of TB in South Africa is increasing instead of decreasing?
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