Explain the definition and concept of the incidence rate for TB Disease.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, gets its name from the disease it causes (tuberculosis) and the properties of the bacterial order/ family it is classified under. Below is the description of the origin of both the words "Tuberculosis" and "Mycobacterim".

Describe the taxonomy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and how it was named.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease* that is a major cause of ill health, one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent (ranking above HIV/ AIDS).

TB is caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is spread when people who are sick with TB expel bacteria into the air; for example, by coughing.

Commitment at national, state and district level are required to support and facilitate the implementation of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures.

The important stakeholders in IPC include:

National Airborne Infection Control Committee (NAICC) has been constituted to provide for a multi-lateral national level coordinating body, to develop national guidelines on IPC, and provide technical guidance for their implementation, evaluation, and revisions.

Composition of NAICC

Respiratory hygiene is vital to prevent the spread of TB via aerosols and person-to-person transmission.

Respiratory hygiene includes:

• Covering the nose/mouth with a tissue when coughing/sneezing and appropriate disposal of used tissues

The following work practices are recommended to ensure that microscopy laboratory technicians are not exposed to aerosols from sputum specimens.

Hand hygiene is one of the most important elements of infection control. The aim of hand washing is to remove transient micro-organisms, acquired through everyday tasks in the laboratory/ clinical setting, from the surface of the hands.

Good hand hygiene protects both patients and staff.

The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on “Hand Hygiene in Healthcare” describe five key situations where hand washing is required:

• Standard precautions are a group of infection control practices to reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens.
• These are based on the principle that all blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions except sweat, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes may contain
  transmissible infectious agents.
• Standard precautions are applicable to all patients in all healthcare settings and combine the major features of universal precautions, body substance isolation, and airborne precautions.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are important in maintaining a safe environment for everyone by reducing the risk of the potential spread of disease.

IPC is a practical, evidence-based approach which prevents patients and health workers from being harmed by avoidable infection. It is relevant to health workers and patients at every single health-care encounter.