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Missing TB cases a big threat of infection spread
On World TB Day, experts said a person who has TB but was not having medicine can spread the infection to about 10 people in one year
Missing TB cases (people who suffer from TB but are unaware of it and are not having medicine) pose a major threat of spreading the infection within their family and among others, said doctors on Wednesday, the eve of World TB Day.
“A person who has TB but is not having medicine can spread the infection to about 10 people in one year. The TB-affected person’s family members have 75% chance of contracting TB,” said Dr Rajiv Garg, senior faculty, department of respiratory medicine, King George’s Medical University (KGMU) here.
In Lucknow, a search campaign for such ‘missing TB cases’ resulted in finding 312 new patients from among 10 lakh people scanned through sputum test and x-ray. The campaign is still going on and one lakh more people are to be scanned this week, said Yogesh Raghuvanshi, district health education officer.
“Significantly, within two to three weeks of starting medicine, the risk of spreading TB infection from a patient goes down to almost zero,” said Dr Rajendra Prasad, vice chairman, National Task Force, National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), and HoD, Pulmonary Medicine, Era’s Medical College, Lucknow.
Speaking about the symptoms, Prof Surya Kant, HoD of department of respiratory medicine, KGMU, said: “Cough for more than two weeks, fever, loss of weight and appetite, hemoptysis, and chest pain are main symptoms. TB is a completely treatable disease with full course of medication. Testing and treatment services for TB are available free of cost in government hospitals.”
In elderly patients, many clinical symptoms of TB are not prominent, said doctors. “Early TB diagnosis often becomes difficult among elderly patients as compared to younger individuals. Hence, it becomes significant to monitor even slightest of the symptoms among the elderly to ensure early diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, Association of International Doctors.
TB awareness villages
The department of pulmonary critical care medicine (PCCM) of KGMU adopted Kasmadi Kalan and Hafij Kheda villages, under the Kasmadi Kalan gram panchayat, on Wednesday to mark the World TB Day. Also 30 TB patients were adopted for their better treatment and care.
This year the theme of World TB Day is ‘Invest to End TB, Save Lives.’
“Staff of our department will visit villages and educate people about TB and other diseases, too,” said Dr Ved Prakash, HoD PCCM, at a press conference here on Wednesday.
“Among women, 90% of genital TB troubles between 15 and 40 years of age and there has been rise of up to 10% in genital TB. In up to 60% cases of infertility, the reason is TB,” said Dr Ved Prakash.
HOPE FROM VACCINE
“Researches are being conducted on more than 100 vaccines for tuberculosis in the world and two of them in our country,” said Dr Surya Kant, HoD, department of respiratory medicine, KGMU and chairman of UP State TB Task Force
Dr Surya Kant said: “There are more than 100 vaccines for tuberculosis undergoing different phases of clinical trials in the world. Also, in our country, two vaccines were selected for the trial in 2019 by the ICMR. Due to the pandemic, progress of these two vaccines was at a standstill, but trials have now resumed at its pace.”
He said, “Vaccines against Covid were developed in a very short span of time and we too will soon develop an effective and secure vaccine against TB.”
“The TB vaccine, Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), being used at present is about 100 years old, and prevents infants and children from severe tuberculosis, and its serious manifestations such as, miliary TB and tubercular meningitis (brain TB). Hence, hopes are now on a new vaccine which shall be available soon,” said Prof Surya Kant.
