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ABSL
Animal biosafety laboratory (see BSL).
Acid-fast bacilli
Difficult-to-stain bacteria that, once stained, resist decolorizing with acid washings; used in microbiology labs to identify mycobacteria such as M.tb.
Active case detection
Encouraging potential TB cases to submit sputum samples for smear or culture testing; as opposed to standard DOTS strategy of relying on sick patients to present themselves at clinics for diagnosis and treatment.
Active Disease
Active TB disease can be pulmonary or extrapulmonary; a term used to distinguish TB disease from latent TB infection (LTBI).
Acute
Rapid in onset or short in course; as opposed to chronic.
Ad35
Adenovirus-35, a double-stranded DNA virus used as a vector in vaccine research; there is less pre-existing immunity to Ad35 than to Ad5, hence lower doses can be used.
Ad5
Adenovirus-5, a double-stranded DNA virus used as a vector in vaccine research.
Adherence
The process of regularly and accurately following a treatment protocol, exercise regimen, or religious practice.
Adjuvant
A substance given along with a vaccine to enhance its immune effects.
Aeras
Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, a US-based product-development partnership (PDP) which is seeking to develop more effective TB vaccines by strengthening BCG or by adding various booster immunization approaches.
Aerosol
Liquid droplets suspended in the air; M. tb. is transmitted in aerosol form by an infected person coughing.
AFB
Acid-fast bacilli, group of bacteria, including M. tb. Sputum samples are smeared on a slide, dyed with Ziehl-Neelson stain, and examined by microscopy, which can identify a smear-positive case of TB disease. AFB also detects non-viable (dead) bacteria, however.
Agar
Jelly-like substance made from galactose sugar obtained from cell walls of red algae or seaweed and used as a culture medium in microbiology laboratories.
AIDS
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a number of serious and life-threatening diseases and conditions caused by progressive immune deficiency triggered by HIV infection.
Airborne
An infectious organism which can be transmitted from an infected host to a susceptible one through the air; influenza, SARS, and TB are airborne diseases.
Algorithm
A decision tree used to determine the pathway a person takes to obtain diagnosis and treatment.
Aliquot
An amount that is an exact fraction of a larger amount; used in laboratory work.
Ambulatory
Able to walk.
Amikacin
An injectable aminglycoside antibiotic used in treatment of MDR-TB.
Aminoglycoside
A toxic, potent class of injectable antibiotic drugs including amikacin, kanamycin, and streptomycin, which block bacterial protein synthesis.
Anergy
Non-reactivity to immune stimuli defined by the lack of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to antigen exposure; some people with HIV, particularly with low CD4 counts, are anergic and non-responsive to tuberculin skin testing (TST). Anergy disappears after ART induced immune reconstitution.
Anoxia
Being without oxygen.
Antibiotic
Any drug with anti-bacterial activity.
Antibody
Immune system proteins produced and secreted by B cells in response to an infection or autoimmune inflammation.
Antigen
Processed proteins from an invading pathogen (virus or bacterium) which are chopped up by antigen-presenting cells (APC) such as dendritic cells and macrophages and presented to T cells to elicit an immune response; sometimes antigens are used for diagnosis (TST, IGRA) or as putative vaccines (Ag85A-ESAT-6).
APC
Antigen presenting cells of the immune system, which process invading pathogens by phagocytosis and break them down into protein subunits for presentation to T and B cells. Macrophages and dendritic cells are APC.
ART
Antiretroviral therapy: anti-HIV treatment, usually refers to combinations of ARVs given together to maximally and durably suppress HIV RNA, preserving or restoring CD4 count and immune function.
ARV
Antiretroviral: a drug with anti-HIV activity.
ATS
American Thoracic Society, a US-based professional society.
Attenuated
Weakened; through progressive breeding or artificial selection; e.g., BCG is an attenuated form of M. bovis.
AUC
Area under the curve, a pharmacokinetic measure of drug exposure.