Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Doctor confirms first fatal drug resistant TB infection
Post-mortem tests have confirmed the first Australian transmission of a virulent form of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, says the doctor who treated the dead woman.
By Stefan Armbruster
13 OCT 2014 - 8:26 PM UPDATED 1 HOUR AGO
Two weeks ago the Torres Strait islander died in Cairns hostipal from the mutant strain of tuberculosis that originates from across the border in Papua New Guinea.
?She was a close contact of a known TB case with the drug resistant strain on Saibai Island a couple of years ago, so in reality this is the first Australian citizen to Australian citizen transfer of this particular strain of TB,? said Dr Stephen Vincent, director of thoracic medicine at the Cairns Base hospital.
In PNG tuberculosis is at crisis levels, especially in Western Province bordering Australia?s Torres Strait in far-north Queensland.
Hundreds of people cross the international border every day. Papua New Guineans come to trade goods and Torres Strait islanders go to visit family but in recent years they have been carrying an unwelcome passenger.
...
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/...firms-first-fatal-drug-resistant-tb-infection
Post-mortem tests have confirmed the first Australian transmission of a virulent form of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, says the doctor who treated the dead woman.
By Stefan Armbruster
13 OCT 2014 - 8:26 PM UPDATED 1 HOUR AGO
Two weeks ago the Torres Strait islander died in Cairns hostipal from the mutant strain of tuberculosis that originates from across the border in Papua New Guinea.
?She was a close contact of a known TB case with the drug resistant strain on Saibai Island a couple of years ago, so in reality this is the first Australian citizen to Australian citizen transfer of this particular strain of TB,? said Dr Stephen Vincent, director of thoracic medicine at the Cairns Base hospital.
In PNG tuberculosis is at crisis levels, especially in Western Province bordering Australia?s Torres Strait in far-north Queensland.
Hundreds of people cross the international border every day. Papua New Guineans come to trade goods and Torres Strait islanders go to visit family but in recent years they have been carrying an unwelcome passenger.
...
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/...firms-first-fatal-drug-resistant-tb-infection