Tuberculosis May Become A Global Threat Again

Iphtashu Fitz writes "The journal Nature Medicine is due to release a report today on how highly drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis are on the verge of becoming a global epidimic. Strains of TB that are highly resistant to antibiotics are becoming increasingly prevalent in places like Russia, eastern Europe, and China, and only small changes are required to make these strains start spreading quickly. Treatment for multiple-drug-resistant strains of TB requires a carefully monitored cocktail of drugs taken for months on end, a regimin that many, especially in poorer countries are unlikely to follow to completion. The strategy used by the World Health Organization to combat TB, the "directly observed treatment, short course" or DOTS, involves using trained health workers to watch patients take their long courses of drugs, since even a little carelessness could result in TB mutating into a more drug resistant form within the patient." Oh, Alexander Fleming ^? where art thou now?

Comments

Sadly not new news.

[Fallen Andy]

My father lost his father when he was a mere 9
years old to TB. I don't understand why people
treat this as "someone elses problem" - it isn't a
SEP. It *will* bite you. You'll never have to worry about new diseases because the old ones are doing nicely...

The irony with TB is that
people think they are getting well, and stop taking
the drugs (which are making them feel ill). End result: great selection pressure to make resistant bugs).

I for one pray that we can stamp out that big disease called ignorance (hey, look at what happened in Nigeria with that dumb fuck (who cares
what religion?) and Polio). Damn. I had a friend
with scars from hell and calipers when I was a kid
and I'm a mere 45 year old. I never want to see
such things, not even in my nightmares...

Re:Been there, Done that

[Karma Farmer]

Having the largest prison population in the world is a much bigger threat to America than H1B workers ever will be. Prisons are a breeding ground for communicable disease.

Antibiotics abuse

[erroneus]

Personally, I hold doctors highly liable for the abuse, misuse and general over-use of antibiotics. Of course the patients are pretty damned stupid too, but I have seen cases where the doctor didn't see anything but a blood test before prescribing the antibiotics.

There are so many natural ways to inspire your own immune system to build and strengthen itself and it seems to me that for capitalistic reasons alone medical professionals do not prescribe them.

I'm not a doctor or medical expert either. But I'll say this much -- from the time I decided I was done taking pills and crap for every minor problem out there and let my body do its own healing, I have been a healthier, stronger person and I can't remember the last time I was sick... I remember what it was -- the flu -- but it was great than 5 years ago and basically, I just waited it out -- fever and headaches and agony and all. I recognize the fact that extreme situations call for the use of medicines and other modern medical techniques. But I think they are way over-used and in my opinion (guess) it's so they can way over-charge people.

Re:Antibiotic resistances

[tsg]

Because it makes it that much harder to stop taking them when the patient has serious side effects to the medication.

Re:Been there, Done that

[igny]

Prisons are a breeding ground for communicable disease. While it is true that prisons allow diseases spread faster, the main reason why TB in prisons is so rampant is that TB mainly affects people with weaker immune system. People in prisons are under constant stress, probably lacking vitamins/minerals. Consequently their immune system weakens, and an exposure to TB is automatically followed by infection.

I have a friend, who is a pulmonologist in Russia. He told me that in the past doctors rarely became infected even if exposed to TB constantly. Nowadays, doctors themselves lack vitamins and put under stress in Russia. This pulmonologist was infected once, and other doctors fall ill regularly.