In conjunction with this year’s theme “United to End TB” on World TB Day, the district health authorities are holding week-long awareness campaign amongst the people for the timely action as soon as the symptoms of TB appear in a person. To ascertain that Tuberculosis is preventable and curable, school health programmes and community meetings are being held throughout the week in the district.
It was the year 1882, when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis (TB). Anyone can get TB, and the efforts being made to find and treat latent TB infection and TB disease are not sufficient. Misdiagnosis of TB still exists and more awareness needs to be spread in remote areas where cleanliness and sanitation are far-fetched say the district authorities.
Speaking to The Pioneer, the district TB officer Manoj Verma said, “Whenever a person has cough problem for more than 2 weeks, it is advised that the doctor must be consulted. The bacteria causing tuberculosis generally attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain as well.
Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick so it can be latent TB infection (lTBI) also. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.”
Discussing the mode of spread of the disease, Verma says that TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs or speaks. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
Many a times little knowledge about the disease can be a dangerous thing.
“It is mandatory that people understand that Tuberculosis is not spread by shaking someone's hand, sharing food or drink, touching bed linens or toilet seats, sharing toothbrushes,” says city based Dr. Sanjay Shah. It is only through sputum and water droplets in air that the infection spreads, he adds. When a person breathes in TB bacteria, the bacteria can settle in the lungs and begin to grow. From there, they can move through the blood to other parts of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain.
The district TB officer told the Pioneer that this year’s TB infection control program includes administrative measures, environmental controls and promoting the use of respiratory protective equipments like mouth masks.
“In rural areas, cleanliness and sanitation needs to be maintained and fumigation is carried out from time to time in congested areas and we have been able to reduce the number of TB cases to half in the past two years.” Anti-tuberculosis treatment when given to the patient relieves patient of the disease within 7 to 9 months, say the doctors.