Gender differences delays in initiating tuberculosis treatment among tuberculosis patients, Far-Western Development Region

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis. After TB infection occurs, most individuals carry the tubercle bacilli inside the body, but bacteria are in small numbers and are dormant. These dormant bacteria are kept under control by the body’s defenses and do not cause disease. Disease occurs only when the tubercle bacilli in the body have started to multiply and become numerous enough to overcome the body’s defenses (World Health Organization [WHO], 2004a). The most important source of infection is the patient with TB of the lung, or pulmonary TB (especially sputum smear positive TB), and who is coughing. Coughing produces tiny infectious droplet nuclei. An individual’s risk of infection depends on the extent of exposure to droplet nuclei and his or her susceptibility to infection.