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| Extremely Drug Resistant Tuberculosis XDR-TB - VOA Story |
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U.S. health officials have quarantined an
airline passenger who may have exposed others
to a potentially dangerous form of
tuberculosis. The unusual decision was made
after the passenger took flights from the
U.S. to Europe, then to Montreal, Canada
before reentering the United States. The man
has what's called 'Extremely Drug Resistant'
tuberculosis. Passengers and crew from both
flights have been urged to be tested for the
infection. XDR-tb is an especially virulent
form of the disease that is resistant to
standard drug treatment.
The World Health Organization says about nine
million people around the world have TB and
1.6 million die from it every year. The
greatest burden is in South and East Asia,
followed closely by Africa and the Western
Pacific regions, all adding up to 85 percent
of the world total.
But TB persists and mutates into
drug-resistant strains harder to cure because
many patients fail to finish taking their
medicine. For years, the World Health
Organization has promoted directly observed
therapy by local health care workers who go
to patients' homes to make sure they take
their pills. But in poor countries with weak
health systems, health workers to do this are
in short supply.
As a result, bacterial resistance to at least
two common TB drugs is spreading, requiring
newer, more expensive, and more toxic
compounds to do the job.
"One of the biggest challenges is we know
it's out there, but we don't know how much of
it is out there," says Joann Carter. She is
with the non-governmental group RESULTS,
which helps fund medical projects in
developing countries. She notes that an even
more dangerous TB strain has developed
recently. The bacterium has mutated further
into a form resistant to most of the older
and newer drugs. This so-called extremely
drug resistant strain, or XDR tuberculosis,
was first noticed in South Africa, fueled by
the HIV epidemic that weakens patients'
ability to fight such diseases.
Tags : Tuberculosis XDR-TB Extremely Drug Resistant |
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Affichage : 21438
Durée : 272 s |
| BT - Dreaming |
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~Credits
BT - Dreaming (Lucid Mix)
Quality : 320kbps Enjoy!
Tags : BT DREAMERS |
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Affichage : 133833
Durée : 280 s |
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