Prof. Dr. Yıldız stated that tuberculosis is a disease caused by bacteria called “mycobacterium tuberculosis” and it is an airborne disease. Dr. Yıldız also stated that in order to raise awareness in community and inform them about the tuberculosis disease the week starting from the first Sunday of January is determined to be “Tuberculosis Education and Propaganda Week” every year and this year it is between 7-13 January 2018.

Prof. Dr. Yıldız said “Tuberculosis is a disease that is as old as humanity itself and still it is an important public health problem.”Dr. Yıldız also stressed that according to the “2017 Global Tuberculosis Report” of World Health Organization (WHO) the disease is still very common and it is one of the 10 deadliest diseases in the world.

How Tuberculosis Is Transferred?
Prof. Dr. Füsun Yıldız stated that the source of the tuberculosis is individuals with untreated clinically-active, pulmonary or laryngeal tuberculosis and the airborne bacteria spreads through exhaling, coughing, sneezing and speaking. Prof. Dr. Yıldız stated that brief contact with people who are sick with tuberculosis, such on bus or restaurant is unlikely to give a person TB and added that it’s also more likely to be active among those who share the same environment with an infected person. Prof. Dr. Yıldız stated that especially the family members of the patient and colleagues are under risk but with treatment patients can be treated quickly and added that it is not spread by using the same fork, spoon, plate, glass, clothes and blood transfer or sexual intercourse.

Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital Pulmonology Specialist Prof. Dr. stated the following in her statement:

Which Organs Are Affected By Tuberculosis?
“Tuberculosis usually affects the lungs. It can also affect other parts of the body such as pleura, adenoids, bones, kidneys and meninges. It can affect almost all organs in the body. Infection may appear in the affected organ and it may cause deterioration in the function of organs. It causes organ dysfunction. The duration of the bacteria causing the disease can vary. If immunity is low, the disease can rapidly develop or it can start after years. The 10% of infected persons will develop TB disease at some time in their lives. There are diseases and factors which decrease body immunity that cause the development of the disease. AIDS is the disease that decreases the body immunity the most. Other diseases that cause the development of the disease and decrease the body immunity are diabetes, kidney diseases, some cancer types, medications and alcoholism, smoking, pneumoconiosis and some other serious diseases. The risk of getting the disease is high for babies and old people as their body immunity is low.

How Tuberculosis Is Diagnosed?
Tuberculosis is diagnosed by finding bacteria in a sputum samples. We can suspect the disease by the complaints and the x-ray of the patient. The complaints can differ for each patient and majority of the patients have the following complaints; coughing that lasts for more than two weeks, fever, night sweating, and chest pain, lack of appetite, weight loss, exhaustion, and spitting blood. Usually, the complaints start and develop slowly. Therefore, a lot of patients visit their doctors late. Some of the patients think that the complaints are caused by smoking or some other reason. Therefore when they visit their doctor, the disease damages the lungs or other affected organs. Wrong diagnosis and treatments cause the development of the disease and at the same time, the patient continues to transfer the bacteria. Especially the patients who have complaints of coughing must visit a pulmunology specialist or fight against tuberculosis dispensary.

How Tuberculosis Is Treated?
There are very powerful medications for the treatment of tuberculosis. In order to kill the germs effectively; four different medications are used for the early stage of the disease. As the tuberculosis bacteria reproduce so much slower than other bacteria, it is necessary to use the medications for a longer period. The treatment duration is at least six months. If the proper medications are used for an adequate period, almost all patients are successfully treated. The treatment that recovers the patient is also important for public health. The treatment period is the most important element of fighting against tuberculosis, which is a contagious disease. Therefore, it is mandatory to sustain and complete the treatment properly.

As a result; the most effective methods of protecting the community from the tuberculosis are early diagnosis and successful treatment. As it is an airborne disease, we must cover our mouth and nose while we are coughing or sneezing. If the patient complains about coughing that lasts for more than 2-3 weeks and does not recover with antibiotics, he/she must visit the closest health institution. Tuberculosis is curable. If you are infected, do not forget that you can stop tuberculosis with medical treatment and prevent the spread of disease. “