Worldwide, nearly nine million of tuberculosis are diagnosed annually, mostly in poorer countries. 1.4 million die from it. New drugs are urgently needed because TUBERCULOSIS bacteria forming resistance.
Against tuberculosis, there was for a long time no new drugs. Now, a has received approval. It is the third within six years. “You can’t treat tuberculosis with a drug,” explains Sebastian Dietrich from ‘Doctors without borders’. “If you treat tuberculosis with a drug, the bacteria in the shortest time possible against this drug-resistant.” Therefore, you need for a successful therapy is always a combination of anti-TB drugs, usually three to five. These protect against the resistance of the bacterium each other out.
Due to the resistance of a combination of drugs have to be administered
“The Patient takes a drug, this also,” says Dietrich. “The patient is then better. However, some tuberculosis bacteria resistance, they reproduce, and the lung disease comes back.”
Risk of resistance
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease. It is transmitted by a type of bacteria, the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is still considered as a poverty disease. Many patients in poorer countries in Africa. In many regions where HIV is a Problem. “In the case of a HIV-infection the immune system is reduced. There has also been a number of cases of active tuberculosis,” says Dietrich.
Simple Diagnostics
To detect tuberculosis and to diagnose, not be difficult, explains Dietrich. “To do this, you just need a microscope,” explains Dietrich. But there are other problems. If you look at the bacteria under the microscope, is clearly not clear, if you respond to the medication or not.
Tuberculosis is easy to recognize, but not, what is the drug responsive
“We used to need for the examination with the microscope for an hour or two. Because the tuberculosis bacteria are now often resistant to the normal medicines, you can’t diagnose TB, although still with the microscope, however, we know with what medicine you can treat them.”
Now the doctors need to create a consuming culture. When it is grown, it must be against each drug extra testing to see which drug the bacteria respond and what not. “It will take approximately three months,” is Dietrich’s concerns. The new drug is approved, but not yet freely available in the market. Dietrich estimates that this will be soon the case.
The International Situation
About 85 percent of TB infections occur in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region. But Eastern Europe has to pay high levels of Infection. Are affected above all countries like Georgia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Also there are now many drug resistance, tuberculosis cases are treatable. Up to fifty percent of the patients have not responded to the drugs at all. You have borne the tuberculosis and other infected.
A challenge for Germany
In Germany, too, there are always cases of tuberculosis. In the case of adults, there are the most cases in people over the age of 80 years. You have been infected in Germany after the second world war. The hygienic conditions were poor, and people lived together in the smallest space – ideal conditions for the spread of tuberculosis. In Germany the disease is compulsorily notifiable.
About 85 percent of TB infections occur in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region.
But it is also true younger. “The second group are the 20 to 24-year-olds,” said Susanne Glasmacher of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin. “Often they are born in Germany, but still have relatives in their home countries.” It can happen, that these people are infected during a visit with tuberculosis. One needs, however, close and ongoing contact. “It is not ruled out that a contagion can also happen in the more volatile handling,” says Glasmacher. This is a very rare event, because even cough on the rich is not to infect himself with the bacterium.
Distant Goals
In the long term, tuberculosis is to be eradicated worldwide. The goal of the WHO is it, that every year, approximately ten percent fewer cases of Tuberculosis. “We’re not seeing as yet,” there are glass-makers to consider. Even in Germany, such a decline is difficult to achieve. For the health departments, it is very time-consuming, all contacts of the Infected track. Nationwide are currently about 5000 cases. “In international comparison, the number is not so high,” says glass-maker, “but there are still many who are infected with tuberculosis.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killA mosquito beats
For sure, the most dangerous animal in Africa is the mosquito, which is about six mm small Anopheles: it transmits Malaria. This infectious disease around half a Million people die each year. Malaria sufferers suffer from a high recurrent fever, chills, and cramps. Especially in the case of small children, the disease can quickly lead to death.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killIt all begins in the mosquito
The Anopheles mosquito bites an infected human, it takes the malaria pathogens; the next stitch, you pass it to some other people. Researchers have highlighted the causative agent here in the picture with a green glowing protein. As the green glow reveals, multiply the parasite in the gut of the mosquito and accumulate in their salivary glands.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killPathogens for the research crops
The biological Name of the Malarierregers is Plasmodium. To investigate, remove, researchers infected Anopheles mosquitoes, the salivary glands and isolate the parasites. Because in the saliva of the mosquito, the infectious Form of the parasite accumulates experts call this Form of sporozoites. To the right in the image, the mosquito is seen, in the middle of the extracted salivary glands.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killMosquito – Human – Mosquito
In fact, the human is the intermediate host of the malaria parasite, definitive host is the mosquito. In the us, the pathogen asexually reproduces real-Lich: first in the liver then in red blood cells. A part of the parasites is, after all, female and male cells. These are taken up by a mosquito and move on in your sex. The circle is complete.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killMalaria run in a circle
Since the malaria sporozoites are curved, move in a circle, when researchers apply them, as here, on a piece of glass with liquid. The parasites are coloured yellow, their trajectory is in blue. The pathogens are fast: For a circle you only need about 30 seconds. In their hosts they are distracted by the obstacles of the circle and then run straight.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killTwelve days between the stab and the outbreak of the disease
In the human malaria pathogen invades for a few days in the liver. Meanwhile, the Affected person won’t notice. It is only when the parasite has converted in the liver to the small grape-shaped merozoites, which leave the body and the blood cells are affected, the Patient feels sick.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killMalaria pathogens in the blood
The parasites need one to three days to multiply in the red blood cells. Then the blood to disintegrate the cells and release of many Mature malaria pathogens and toxic substances from the metabolism of the parasites. The Consequence Is Fever. Under the microscope the disease is diagnose after Staining to The purple-dyed exciter to fall in the blood smear immediately.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killAround the Equator
Malaria is a typical tropical disease: it occurs where it is hot and humid. Some scientists had feared that the Malaria will spread due to climate change. Recent studies come to a different conclusion: in fact, your distribution area, taking continuously, as more and more swamps were drained.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killMosquito Nets = Life Saver
The best remedy against Malaria is to be not bitten by a mosquito. While Repellents – Mosquito repellents to apply Cream and of course mosquito nets, the fine mesh keep mosquitoes help. To sleep under a mosquito net can save lives!
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killDouble Protection
Researchers have developed a mosquito net that is intended to protect especially In the fibers of the nets an insecticide is woven, which is continuously free. The drug kills all of the mosquitoes on the mosquito net down.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killPoison weapon against Malaria
Malaria takes the risk out of hand, grab the Affected often to harsh means, and spraying the bulk insect poison, like here in Mumbai, India. Such an insecticide is the substance DDT is effective against mosquitoes, but as part of the “dirty dozen” bad for health and the environment: It is very durable and accumulates in the food chain.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killQuick Diagnosis
Rapid Malaria tests can prove within minutes malaria pathogen in a drop of blood. Here is the “Doctors without borders to examine” a boy in the African state of Mali. His Test is positive. The Boy gets drugs, and two days later, healthy again. Such rapid tests do not work, however, is always reliable.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killRace against time
Medicines to destroy the parasites in the blood, or prevent it from multiplying. However, the pathogens become resistant to the drug – some drugs such as chloroquine are not working in many areas already. Also counterfeit Drugs with little active ingredient to promote resistance. The only way out: to develop new medicines.
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Malaria – one mosquito bite can killWell bedded against Malaria
Also with a new vaccine, it is therefore continue to be: to protect Yourself from mosquito bites is key.