What is Mycobacterium Tuberculosis?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a bacterium that causes the disease Tuberculosis (also known as TB). These bacteria are put into the air when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. While M. Tuberculosis bacteria usually attack the lungs, they can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.
Where is it Found?
What Does it Infect?
Preventing Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
In many countries, TB is much more common than in the United States. Travelers should avoid close contact or prolonged time with known TB patients in crowded, enclosed environments.
According to a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute articleopen_in_new, reducing the risk of airborne tuberculosis transmission can be done in three ways: dilution, filtration, and purification by ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI):
- Dilution doesn’t destroy bacteria but spreads it over a larger volume of air. New air is introduced into a room by natural ventilation (opening windows or doors) or mechanical ventilation (such as air conditioning units).
- Filtration reduces the concentration of harmful microorganisms in a room by trapping them in a filter and removing them from the circulated air.
- Purification (UVGI) neutralizes harmful bacteria like Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by destroying its DNA structure and preventing it from multiplying. Read our Benefits of UV-C blog post to learn more about the cost and efficiency of upper room UVGI when compared to dilution, filtration, and other disinfection methods.
Our Hygeaire® UV-C Indirect Air Disinfection model is featured in the Rensselaer article mentioned above. Shop models at AtlanticUltraviolet.comopen_in_new.
Give Your Location Better Protection by Adding UV Disinfection
To guard against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in high-risk settings like clinics, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters, the CDC recommendsopen_in_new adding germicidal UV air disinfection to other preventative methods.
Learn about these applications:
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Our germicidal lamps produce ultraviolet wavelengths at 254 nanometers, the region of maximum germicidal effectiveness. Read our FAQ blog post to learn more. See dosage data below.
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Classification & UV-C Dose for Inactivation
| Organism: | Alternate Name: | Type: | Disease: | UV Dose*: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mycobacterium Tuberculosis | M. tuberculosis | Bacteria | Tuberculosis (TB) | 10.00 mJ/cm2 |
* Nominal germicidal UV dosage necessary to inactivate better than 99% of microorganism. See sources below.
People at High Risk for TB Disease
About 5 to 10% of infected persons who do not receive treatment for latent TB infection will develop TB disease at some time in their lives. People at high risk for developing TB disease are:
- Close contacts of a person with infectious TB disease
- People who have immigrated from areas of the world with high rates of TB
- Children less than 5 years of age who have a positive TB test
- Groups with high rates of TB transmission (homeless, injection drug users, and those with HIV)
- People with weak immune systems, especially those with any of the following conditions:
- HIV infection (the virus that causes AIDS)
- Substance abuse
- Silicosis
- Diabetes mellitus
- Severe kidney disease
- Low body weight
- Organ transplants
- Head and neck cancer
- Medical treatments such as corticosteroids or organ transplant
- Specialized treatment for rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn’s disease
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Symptoms
According to the CDC, tuberculosis bacteria usually grows in the lungs, and may cause the following symptoms:
- a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
- pain in the chest
- coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs)
Symptoms in other parts of the body depend on the area affected. Other possible symptoms of TB disease:
- weakness or fatigue
- weight loss
- no appetite
- chills
- fever
- sweating at night
Sources on Mycobacterium Tuberculosis:
The above information can be found on the following pages.
- CDC: Tuberculosis (TB)open_in_new
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Controlling Tuberculosis Transmission with UV Irradiationopen_in_new
Dosage Source
Sensitivity of Bacteria, Protozoa, Viruses, and Other Microorganisms to Ultraviolet Radiation. Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Volume 126, Article No. 126021. August 20, 2021.
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