An overview on Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Dr Priyambada Singh

Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology

Kalinga University, Raipur

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), an incredibly effective pathogen that mostly infects the lungs and causes the characteristic symptoms of pulmonary TB, is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), a contagious infectious illness. Furthermore, a condition known as extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) have impact on other organs such as the brain, kidneys, spine, lymph nodes, or kidneys. Along with HIV/AIDS and malaria, tuberculosis is among deadliest infections in the world and has had the biggest socioeconomic impact on humankind. In Accordance to recent mortality data, tuberculosis (TB) claimed the lives of 1.4 million people in 2020, making it the second most frequent cause of mortality from infection worldwide, after COVID-19. Although latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), whereby bacteria remain quiescent for decades after the initial exposure without generating TB disease, is the primary cause of many of these cases and deaths. Mtb’s highly evolved array of protein and non-protein virulence factors allows it to establish its survival niche, disrupt host immunity, penetrate the host through the airway, and escape during an active illness to cause new infections. The clinical and epidemiological relevance of Mtb’s infectious life cycle, which results in tuberculosis—a disease with high rates of mortality and morbidity worldwide—as well as its infectious life cycle. The significance of comprehending the interaction between Mtb virulence factors and host defenses in order to progress the creation of better treatments and vaccines for the prevention and therapeutics of TB.

These outcomes highlight the intricate relationships between Mtb and host’s immune system, providing insight into the ways in which Mtb both causes illness and eludes host defenses. DR-TB (Drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis) is a major global health hazard. Curing and managing tuberculosis becomes significantly more challenging when the germs that cause the infection develop resistance to the medications used to treat it. Many things can leads for developing  this resistance, such as incorrect antibiotic use, unfinished treatment regimens, and the spread of resistant bacteria. These bacteria are basically of two types; Multidrug Resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and Extensively drug Resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Compared to therapy protocols for drug-sensitive TB, DR-TB treatment involves longer, more involved regimens that frequently have more adverse effects. Furthermore, DR-TB treatment success rates are typically lower, underscoring the pressing need for new management techniques, innovative medications, and enhanced diagnostics.

Reference

Acharya, B., Acharya, A., Gautam, S., Ghimire, S. P., Mishra, G., Parajuli, N., & Sapkota, B. (2020). Advances in diagnosis of Tuberculosis: an update into molecular diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Molecular biology reports, 47, 4065-4075.

Bohlbro, A. S., Hvingelby, V. S., Rudolf, F., Wejse, C., & Patsche, C. B. (2021). Active case-finding of tuberculosis in general populations and at-risk groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Respiratory Journal, 58(4).

Rahlwes, K. C., Dias, B. R., Campos, P. C., Alvarez-Arguedas, S., & Shiloh, M. U. (2023). Pathogenicity and virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Virulence, 14(1), 2150449.

World Health Organization. Global tuberculosis report 2021. 2021.