Читать книгу (101 things to know when you go) ON SAFARI IN AFRICA - Patrick Brakspear - Страница 60

Tuberculosis, dramatically described in Victorian times as 'consumption', is proving to be just as serious a public health problem today. TB results from invasion of the body by a specific germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Illness will occur from repeated or overwhelming invasions of the germ, or when the body's immune defenses are lowered by other diseases or malnutrition. Prolonged contact with an infectious person is generally needed for the germ to be transmitted and even then only about 10% of people infected will go on to develop the disease, depending on their state of health and living conditions. A short-term visit to an area with a high incidence of Tuberculosis should pose no problem, but people with low immunity either from disease (HIV infection; poorly controlled diabetes; chronic liver disease; leukemia, lymphoma) or having treatment (chemotherapy for cancer) should exercise care.