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C.P4 Describe the method available to treat a type of infectious disease.
What is Mycobacterium tuberculosis?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a bacterial pathogen known to cause tuberculosis. The bacterium
usually attacks the lungs to cause respiratory problems such as persistent cough and shortness of
breath. Mycobacterium tuberculosis can also affect other parts of our body such as our kidney,
spine, and brain. (1)
Causes Symptoms
Transmission Persistent cough
Under nutrition Weight loss
Smoking Night sweats
Bacterial infection Fever
Fatigue
Treatment options
Treatment and Treatment regime
Pulmonary Tuberculosis can be treated with a of antibiotics; isoniazid. These antibiotics are
orally ingested through a tablet. The doses of these antibiotics vary between children and adults
and are also based on your bodyweight. Children 18 and below can expect doses of 10mg/kg to
20mg/kg whereas adults could expect doses of 5mg/kg max. This treatment is based on a period
of 6 months where these isoniazid tablets need to be consumed daily. (2) The regime may alter
to twice a week or even once a week based on many factors such as age, sex, dosage and even
severity of the infection. This drug is monitored over the first couple of weeks to make sure that
there are any severe side effects in that case if there are the doses are decreased to the patient's
personal optimal level.
Treatment Methods
Antibiotics:
Antibiotics are medications that are designed to fight bacterial pathogens to decrease the rate or
completely cure an infectious by disrupting the pathogenesis of the bacterium and affect the
structure of the bacterial cell overall affecting the life cycle of bacteria. An example of a
bacterium pathogen and their corresponding disease; Mycobacterium tuberculosis which can be
treated with isoniazid. (3)
Antibiotics affect the reproduction process of bacteria as some specific antibiotics such as
rifampicin directly target the DNA/RNA of the bacteria which is key for the reproduction as the
binary fission process to replicate bacteria begins with the replication of the DNA. This would
mean if the DNA/RNA is targeted or effected by the antibiotics then the replication process
, cannot go forward overall inhibiting the growth of bacterial cell which on large scale decrease
the rate of bacterial growth or completely end the infection. (4)
Another key component within the bacteria that is significant is protein synthesis. This is
important as protein synthesis can aid the bacterial cell by producing specific proteins that are
important for bacterial metabolism.(5)
The energy released from during metabolism is then used for the energy dependent process
binary fission. Some antibiotics inhibit the protein synthesis by targeting and interfering with
the 70s ribosomes. This affects the process of protein synthesis meaning that some fundamental
protein response for metabolism is decreased meaning less energy to replicate DNA/RNA and
reproduce. Displaying how antibiotics can directly affect metabolism and energy
deployment.(6)
Antibiotics, however, also influence the structure of the bacterial cells, specifically the cell wall.
Some antibiotics are designed to directly interfere with the cell wall biosynthesis process within
cells. This prevents the bacteria from producing a molecule called peptidoglycan which
composes the cell wall of bacteria. In addition, the peptidoglycan cell wall is important to allow
the bacteria to survive in the human body and if the peptidoglycan molecules are produced then
the bacteria will die, the bacteria with a weakened peptidoglycan wall will also eventually break
down leading to bacterial death.(4)
However, one main negative of antibiotics is the risk of developing an antibiotic-resistant
species bacteria. This is because antibiotics are usually given at an expense that the patient
would take the dosage regularly. However, there is a chance the dosage and regime may not
always be met, this can lead to a possible missed or skipped dose. During this process, there is a
high chance that the bacteria have experienced the antibiotic's effects and a mutation may occur
during the reproduction process leading to a species of bacterium resistant to the bacteria. This
strictly happens due to defensive mechanisms developed by the resident species that allow them
to release a biochemical by the name of “pumps” which directly stops the bacteria from
reaching its target components of the bacteria. (8)
Antiviral,
Antivirals are medications that are designed to fight viral pathogens by decreasing its rate of
growth or completely cure an infection by disrupting the pathogenesis of the virus and affecting
the structure of the virus overall affecting its life cycle. The Anti-viral drugs aim to target
various parts of the life cycle to stop the virus from replicating and spreading
One way in which antiviral medications affect the life cycle of viruses is by preventing viral
uncoating during the early stages of viral replication. This is done by the antiviral drugs as they
target, bind and inactivate the proteins found on the surface of the capsid that are responsible for
the uncoating process. If the uncoating process is not complete in the early stages of viral
replication then the virus cant reproduce and grow, therefore the antiviral is efficient in
decreasing the growth of virus. (9)
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