HYDERABAD: Each year, World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is held on March 24 to raise awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global epidemic. According to WHO, TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers. Each day, over 4,100 people lose their lives to TB and close to 28,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.
What causes tuberculosis?
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium causes TB. It is spread through the air from person to person, when people with TB affecting the lungs cough, sneeze, spit, laugh or talk. TB is contagious, but is not easy to catch. The chances of catching TB from someone you live or work with are much higher than from a stranger.
Who is at risk?
People with compromised immune systems are most at risk of developing active TB. HIV suppresses the immune system, making it harder for the body to control TB bacteria. People infected with both HIV and TB are around 20-30% more likely to develop active TB than those who do not have HIV. Tobacco use has also been found to increase the risk of developing active TB. Over 20% of TB cases worldwide are related to smoking.
Signs and symptoms
Coughing, sometimes with mucus or blood
Chills
Fatigue
Fever
Loss of weight
Loss of appetite
Night sweats
Tests and diagnosis
The most common test for TB is a skin test where a small injection of PPD tuberculin, an extract of the TB bacterium, is made just below the inside forearm. The injection site should be checked after two-three days, and if a hard, red bump has swollen up then it is likely that TB is present. Unfortunately, the skin test is not 100% accurate. Blood tests, chest X-rays and sputum tests can all be used to test for the presence of TB bacteria, and may be used alongside a skin test. The theme of World TB Day 2022 - ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives’ – conveys the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB and achieve the commitments to end TB made by global leaders. More investment will save millions more lives, accelerating the end of the TB epidemic.
(Dr S A Rafi, consultant pulmonologist, Care hospitals, Banjara Hills)