24 March heralds "World Tuberculosis Day", one of the worst human diseases. As Nurses, we are on the front lines to screen for TB.
TB is an airborne, infectious lung disease that is (usually) preventable and curable. The good news is the global war against TB is making progress. The bad news is it's mutating into new strains categorized as multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) or extensively-drug resistent (XDR_TB) strains.
Most of us have never experienced the threat or impact of TB but in fact we are always at risk. According the the World Health Organization (WHO), the global war against TB is working, but with mixed results. Although the data from developing countries are unclear, WHO notes a 6-fold increase between 2006-2009 in these new strains. Here in the U.S., WHO reported in 2011 over 100 cases of MDR-TB. The same report shows almost 700 HIV status patients with TB co-infection.
In today's world of global migration and travel, you remain a vital part of the international effort to battle TB. One of your particular challenges if treating a TB-positive patient will be patient education. As TB becomes more drug resistant, so will the side effects, potential toxicities and treatment durations. Read more about this global effort on the comprehensive WHO website.
More news about MDR/XDR-TB:
- China - Independent Online, Capetown, South Africa, 7 June 2012
- CDC Report - February/March 2013
- South Africa - US News & World Report, 11 February 2013
- Worldwide Trend - Reuters, 30 August 2012
- India - Nature, 13 January 2012
- International Union Against TB
- European Union - Al Jazeera, 14 Sep 2011
