Antimycobacterial

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Antimycobacterial

Antimycobacterial (pronunciation: an-ti-my-co-bac-te-ri-al) is a term used to describe a class of medications specifically designed to treat infections caused by mycobacteria, a type of bacteria.

Etymology

The term "Antimycobacterial" is derived from three parts: "Anti-", a prefix from Greek meaning against; "myco-", a prefix from Greek meaning fungus (used here because mycobacteria are similar to fungi in some ways); and "-bacterial", a suffix denoting relation to bacteria.

Definition

Antimycobacterial drugs are used to combat mycobacterial infections, which are caused by a variety of different species of mycobacteria. These include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis, and Mycobacterium leprae, which causes leprosy.

Types of Antimycobacterial Drugs

There are several types of antimycobacterial drugs, including:

Each of these drugs works in a different way to inhibit the growth of mycobacteria, and they are often used in combination to treat mycobacterial infections.

Related Terms

  • Antibacterial: A substance that destroys bacteria or suppresses their growth or their ability to reproduce.
  • Antifungal: A pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, and others.
  • Antiviral: Medications that are used specifically for treating viral infections.

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