Advances in Clinical Features, Diagnosis and Treatment of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is one of the most widely distributed infectious diseases in the world because it greatly impacts veterinary, health care, and financial systems. This disease is caused by a species of the TB complex in the Mycobacterium family, where Mycobacterium bovis transmits it to animals, while Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmits it to humans. Contrary to other fatal diseases for which new cases emerge after several years, numerous cases of tuberculosis emerge rapidly. Clinical signs may include bones, lymph nodes, and the central nervous system, in addition to pulmonary manifestations such as haemoptysis and cough. The antiquated methods of microscopy and culture have been superseded by modern molecular tests that allow the detection of resistant and susceptible strains with speed and accuracy. The fact that the disease remains challenging to treat and requires complex regimens over a considerable period of time poses a great concern due to the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. Bovine tuberculosis due to M. bovis remains of concern in veterinary medicine because of the economic and zoonotic aspects of the disease. The chapter underlines the contemporary importance of tuberculosis as a "One Health" priority due to the comprehensive coverage of the developments that have occurred in the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease from the human and veterinary perspectives.