Interview with a TB Germ 1940

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Uploaded by on Dec 17, 2009

This clip is from the unusual 1940 15 minutes educational film, Goodbye Mr. Germ, produced by the National Tuberculosis Association (now the American Lung Association). TB is a contagious and potentially life-threatening infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB has been present in the human population since antiquity - fragments of the spinal column from Egyptian mummies from 2400 BCE show definite signs of tuberculosis. The term phthisis, consumption, appears first in Greek literature. Around 460 BCE, Hippocrates identified phthisis as the most widespread disease of the times, and noted that it was almost always fatal. The registered number of new cases of TB worldwide roughly correlates with economic conditions: the highest incidences are seen in those countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America with the lowest gross national products. The World Health Organization estimates that nine million people get TB every year, of whom 95% live in developing countries. An estimated 2-3 million people die from TB every year. In industrialized countries, the steady drop in TB incidence began to level off in the mid-1980s and then stagnated or even began to increase. The TB bacteria are spread from person to person through the air. People with TB disease of the lungs or larynx release the bacteria into the surrounding area when they cough, sneeze, talk, or otherwise expel air, dispersing droplets that contain M. tuberculosis. These droplets can dry into tiny particles called droplet nuclei that remain suspended in air for long periods of time. Other people can breathe the infectious particles into their lungs and become infected. Infection usually requires prolonged sharing of airspace with a person actively spreading TB bacteria into the area. In rare cases, TB infection has been documented after short exposures to such persons with active TB. After becoming infected, most people's immune systems are able to contain the infection, but are not able to eliminate it without help from anti-TB drugs. These people have latent TB infection and remain infected until corrective treatment is completed. Latent TB infection does not cause symptoms and is not contagious. However, without treatment, infected people can lose control of the infection and develop active, clinical disease. People with active TB have symptoms and can spread the disease. The risk of developing active TB disease is greatest in the first few years after infection, but some risk remains throughout life. TB is preventable and, in most cases, treatable. Infection control practices can help reduce the risk of TB transmission. Treatment of persons with latent TB infection can prevent the subsequent development of active TB, and TB disease can usually be cured by available anti-TB drugs. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a very dangerous form of tuberculosis. Some TB germs become resistant to the effects of some TB drugs. This happens when TB disease is not properly treated. These resistant germs can then cause TB disease. The TB disease they cause is much harder to treat because the drugs do not kill the germs. Even persons with drug-resistant strains can often be cured by alternative regimens of medications. Effective infection-control practices are critical to prevent the transmission and further spread of in health-care settings and other congregate settings. Transmission of TB is a recognized risk to patients and healthcare workers in healthcare settings. Transmission is most likely to occur from patients who have unrecognized TB or have received ineffective treatment. Workers in correctional and detention facilities are also at risk when exposed to prisoners with active TB disease. For more on Tb in the workplace, link to the NIOSH website at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/tb/. On Dec. 7, 1907, Emily Bissell sold the first Christmas Seals at a post office in Wilmington, Del., to raise funds to fight tuberculosis. Today, the Christmas Seals campaign by the American Lung Association helps fight lung disease and advocates for clean air. The Christmas Seals Campaign is the nation's oldest direct-mail fundraising campaign. Please consider giving to the American Lung Association by making a donation online or by purchasing your gift supplies at ChristmasSeals.org. The entire 1940 film is available at the Internet Archive.

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  • what the!!!

  • a sanitorium really c'mon just fuck off

  • @Beerlejuice dude i fucking know right holy shit dude this vid is so fucking creepy

  • Thank you so much for this video. I'll use it in my report :>

  • I couldn't tell who was more creepy the TB germ or the scientist looking at him. Very informative but really creepy, makes me think twice about going to the hospital.

  • It's become my favourite cartoon. :)

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