THERE are some pathogens that disguise themselves and prevent detection by the host

A 2009 WHO report has ranked India first in the total number of TB cases and also in cases that have developed multi-drug resistance (MDR) to the disease. The latest report puts the number of cases in India at a staggering two million and the total number of drug resistant cases at 1.3 lakh.

A United Nations program that has raised $1.2 billion over the past three years for the treatment of H.I.V./AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis through a small fee added to airline tickets sold in 15 countries is going global.

When coordinated efforts are continuing throughout the world, especially in countries known for elephant-rearing, to fight the spread of tuberculosis among the pachyderms, owners of tamed elephants in Kerala are taking strong objection to reports on the disease.

A path-breaking diagnostic technology invented by a city hospital can help the country fight the relatively new multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. The technology makes it possible to detect MDR tuberculosis in three to four days instead of the conventional three months. It also stops cross transmission.

CUTTACK: With the Accredited Intermediary Reference Lab (IRL) for diagnosing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) going operational at the SCB Medical College and Hospital here, Orissa is all set to initiate directly observed therapy short-course (DOTS) Plus programme to treat such cases.

Around 17,000 Sri Lankans are affected by Tuberculosis annually while 11,000 new victims are identified. Of this 350 die of the disease, Director of National Program for Tuberculosis Control and Chest Disease Dr. A.L.S.B. Alwis said.

Tuberculosis kills at least 64,000 people and also attacks as many as 300,000 every year across the country, health experts said here on Thursday.
Senior officials of the Directorate of Health at their quarterly monitoring meeting here also said that three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are at high risk of this disease.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry is to introduce legislation to prevent discrimination against TB sufferers at work places and schools, Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said.

R. Prasad

Several studies have shown that smoking is a risk factor for developing the tuberculosis disease (TB). But there was no large-scale study done on the general population to understand this association as most studies looked at high-risk individuals to understand how smoking makes a person develop the disease.