AIDS and TB are serious communicable diseases that necessitate treatment. Ongoing physician appointments, laboratory testing and good self-care practices are also important components of disease management for both conditions. AIDS and TB are preventable in many cases. Those at risk should seek testing so that early treatment can begin if needed.
AIDS
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is a life-threatening illness caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. It attacks the immune system, leaving the sufferer susceptible to infections and cancer. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 1 million Americans had HIV in 2003.
TB
Tuberculosis, or TB, is a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection that often invades the lungs. It is caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Unlike AIDS, TB can be cured with medication. Tuberculosis can be active and cause symptoms or be latent, remaining in the body without causing symptoms. The CDC estimates that at least 9 million Americans have active or latent TB.
Co-Infection Effects
An individual with latent tuberculosis who contracts HIV is at high risk of TB becoming active in the body, explains AVERT, an international AIDS charity organization. A physician will classify a person with active TB and HIV as having AIDS, which signals a worsening of the individual's medical status. Regardless of which illness was contracted first, a person with both infections is likely to experience worsening of the TB at a quicker pace than someone who doesn't have HIV.
Treatment
Treatment for HIV or AIDS usually consists of a combination of medications designed to slow the progression of the virus. Tuberculosis is treated with a combination of different antibiotics. Treatment for AIDS often lasts for months and treatment for TB must be continued for around nine months. The CDC advises that the medications to treat tuberculosis and HIV can interact with each other.
Prevention
AIDS prevention involves avoiding exposure to blood or other bodily fluids contaminated with HIV. Safe sex practices and avoidance of used needles and drug paraphernalia are important parts of an AIDS prevention strategy. To avoid contracting tuberculosis, an individual should avoid close contact with people known to have active tuberculosis until the person's physician determines he has received a course of treatment sufficient to render him no longer contagious. The bacteria is spread by airborne transmission when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
