Mapping a New Course to Defeat Tuberculosis
“I don’t know the death rate, but it certainly is regularly lethal,” says Patterson. He’s speaking of tuberculosis, a disease that most Canadians never encounter except perhaps in a storybook set long ago. Hasn’t TB long been banished from developed countries like Canada? No it hasn’t.
TB’s slow-motion Africa disaster
http://www.timescolonist.com
With the famine in Somalia a new threat to millions of lives, it might seem an unlikely time to call for increased spending on HIV/TB co-infection. But the disaster in the Horn of Africa has been years in the making, and due in no small part due to global neglect. Much could have been done, but wasn't, and now the world is responding after the fact, when lives have already been lost and aid much more difficult to provide.
New TB drug-resistance test shows promise but needs investment for those diagnosed to be cured
http://www.eurekalert.org
Two research studies in this week's PLoS Medicine suggest that a new automated DNA test for tuberculosis (Xpert MTB/RIF), which can detect TB within 2 hours and has been endorsed by the World Health Organization, can significantly increase TB detection rate compared to other tests, particularly in HIV positive patients who have a high risk of being infected with TB, including multidrug resistant TB. An accompanying Essay and Perspective highlight the economic challenges and implications of such diagnostic tests.
Lack of awareness, facilities resulted in low TB detection rate
http://www.e-pao.net
The Tuberculosis(TB) detection rate is still low in Manipur comparing to the national detection level. It's because of lack of awareness,facilities and poor communication due to geographical location.
A Day in the Life of a TB Worker
http://www.talkgwinnett.net/
When Farhad Jameel, case manager at Gwinnett County's tuberculosis control clinic, arrives at work each morning, he collects his surgical mask and several large Zip-loc bags containing the individual medications for four to six homebound tuberculosis (TB) patients living in the county. He will spend the next three hours driving around the county to watch patients take their medications...
President Arthur quarantines immigrants, July 18, 1884
politico.com
President Chester Arthur issued a proclamation giving the federal government the power to quarantine persons entering the United States to avoid the spread of "pestilence." The proclamation did not mention the name of the disease from which Arthur was seeking to protect the public: tuberculosis.
Capreomycin shortage: symptom of a bigger problem in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
PLoS Medicine (http://blogs.plos.org)
There is currently a worldwide shortage of quality-assured capreomycin, a key drug in any regime to treat multidrug resistant (MDR) TB. This shortage has occurred because Akorn-a US manufacturer and the only supplier of capreomycin to the Global Drug Facility-has had a problem with the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredient.
Chehera: The Human Face of TB
Brought to us by our partners at GHA India, they recently attended an art exhibit that harnessed the power of art and imagery to spread the message of tuberculosis (TB) to the masses who still are unfamiliar with this deadly disease. Read further to download a PDF containing the powerful images from the exhibit. We must extend special thanks to "Art for Change, the vibrant group of socially conscious artists who made this happen.
New Report Shows Global Response to MDR-TB Has Been Slow
www.globalhealth.kff.org
A new report released recently and compiled by the Treatment Action Group, Medecins Sans Frontieres and Partners In Health says that international efforts aimed at scaling up treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have been slow due to weak government action, low funding and a "sluggish response by international support mechanisms," BMJ News reports.
Rapid TB Test Reliable in Kids
medpagetoday.com
A rapid automated test for tuberculosis -- already recommended by the World Health Organization for disease detection in adults -- proved more effective than smear microscopy for identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in children, a large prospective study found.
