MCQ Detailed View

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection. It is caused by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This germ was discovered by Robert Koch in 1882, which is why it is sometimes called Koch’s bacillus. The disease mainly affects the lungs, but it can also spread to other parts of the body such as the bones, brain, kidneys, and lymph nodes.

TB spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Small droplets carrying the bacteria are released, and if another person breathes them in, they can become infected. Not everyone who gets the bacteria becomes sick right away. Sometimes the bacteria stay “inactive” in the body for years. When the immune system becomes weak, the infection can become active.

The main symptoms of active tuberculosis are:

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  Long-lasting cough (more than three weeks)

  
  


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  Coughing up blood

  
  


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  Chest pain

  
  


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  Fever and night sweats

  
  


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  Weight loss and weakness

  
  

Because of these wasting symptoms, TB was once called “consumption.”

TB is a major health problem in many parts of the world. It can be treated with antibiotics, but the treatment usually lasts for at least six months. Common medicines used are isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. There is also a vaccine called BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin), which is given to protect children from TB.

It is important to remember that TB is not viral, fungal, or parasitic. It is a bacterial infection, and that is why antibiotics are effective in curing it. However, in some cases, bacteria become resistant to drugs, making treatment more difficult.

So, the correct answer is that tuberculosis is a bacterial infection.