EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS DIAGNOSIS REVIEW AND UPDATE

*Olowe OA, Oyedeji JG, Akanbi OA and Olowe RA

ABSTRACT

In past efforts to eradicate or curb the spread of any infectious disease it has been established that proper diagnosis is an important factor. The case with tuberculosis is not an exception. With proper diagnosis coupled with effective ongoing surveillance, new cases can be detected early and treated promptly, as such new cases can be prevented and TB related deaths reduced. Also, with advanced diagnostic methods, patient's response to drugs can also be properly monitored and the spread of resistant strains can be curbed and treatment failure reduced.
Diagnosing active tuberculosis based merely on signs and symptoms is difficult as is diagnosing the disease in those who are immunosuppressed. A diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis should, however, be considered in those with signs of lung disease or constitutional symptoms lasting longer than two weeks. The review present an update on important developments in TB diagnostics over the past decade, in both latent infection and active disease, briefly discuss.

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, surveillance, tuberculosis.