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A new TB epidemic in the making?

Jul 9, 2012#1

Dave

Seems that Florida has had a major outbreak of TB lately, and the Republican governor is ignoring the threat and closing shit down. Okay, that last bit is unfair as the article even states that nobody was told it was this bad until it was too late.

But wasn't TB eradicated a long time ago? Comments on the article state that it was brought back by immigrants (ILLEGAL ONES!!) and because of homelessness and the like, most cases are either unreported or the patient doesn't finish with their round of medicines, so the TB becomes drug resistant.

Without knowing anything about the TB, wouldn't this pose a real health hazard? Or does is it something covered when we got our immunizations?

Jul 9, 2012#2

sixpackshaker

I know Texas schools test everybody for TB before they enter school permanently. I've had so many TB tests in my life due to moving around so much in my younger years.

I don't think that TB was ever officially eradicated. But, the more virulent strains are coming from Central America.

I always thought that the looming epidemic was widely known in Government Circles.

Jul 9, 2012#3

Ravenpoe

This is an Obama plot, trying to make people wish for socialized healthcare.

Jul 9, 2012#4

Gared

Yeah, I worked for a hospital/clinic system years ago, managing their call center, and because I was working for a health care provider, regardless of the fact that I would never even see patients, let alone interact with them, I still had to have a TB test.

Jul 9, 2012#5

WasabiPoptart

Noah had to be tested for TB when he started school here. I had to be tested when I was pregnant both times. Mr. Wasabi has to be tested on a regular basis, too. It hasn't been eradicated. In the past few years there have been cases in the news of strains that are resistant to conventional treatment. The most talked about one was a guy who knew he was infected and got on not one, but two trans-Atlantic flights anyway. In the article I linked, it says TB kills about 2 million people a year worldwide.

Jul 9, 2012#6

strawman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis

The problem with tb is that many people can contract it and transmit it without symptoms. This latent infection means that it can spread far before people realize an epidemic is forming. It's also the reason tb testing is so common.

Since it transmits through the air, it's very easy to catch and transmit.

Further, the structure of this bacteria is particularly resistant to most antibiotics, and those that are effective may take months of treatment before the bacteria is fully gone.

Jul 9, 2012#7

strawman