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Deadly strain makes for most potent form of TB since the war
ERICA BULMAN
A NEW, more deadly form of tuberculosis poses the disease's greatest threat to Europe since the Second World War, experts said last night.
Drug-resistant strains of the disease are lurking just beyond the European Union's borders, according to United Nations and Red Cross officials.
They fear migration and further EU expansion could see more cases of the disease "imported". Markuu Niskala, secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said: "The drug resistance that we are seeing now is without doubt the most alarming TB situation on the continent since the Second World War. "Our message to EU leaders is: Wake up. Do not delay. Do not let this problem get further out of hand."
The high levels of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in Baltic countries, eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the emergence of a new extremely drug-resistant strain have led international health officials to create the Stop TB Partnership in Europe.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.7 million people died from TB in 2004.
European countries have the highest rate of an extreme drug- resistant strain, XDR-TB.
"TB has always been low on the EU agenda. It's a mystery there has been so little concern in addressing the TB epidemic in Europe," said Michael Luhan, an official at the Geneva-based Red Cross federation. "The purpose of this partnership is to stimulate a much greater sense of concern, engagement and commitment on the part of the European Union to address this problem in its own region."
In Europe, 50 people become ill with TB and eight people die of the disease every hour. About 15 per cent of all TB cases in Europe are multi-drug-resistant.
The rate of incidence of TB in the western European countries that comprised the EU before it enlarged in 2004 is 13 cases per 100,000 people every year. That number doubles in the ten new EU members. It doubles again to 53 in Romania and Bulgaria and yet again to 98 in the former Soviet republics farther east.
http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1498762006
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ERICA BULMAN
A NEW, more deadly form of tuberculosis poses the disease's greatest threat to Europe since the Second World War, experts said last night.
Drug-resistant strains of the disease are lurking just beyond the European Union's borders, according to United Nations and Red Cross officials.
They fear migration and further EU expansion could see more cases of the disease "imported". Markuu Niskala, secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said: "The drug resistance that we are seeing now is without doubt the most alarming TB situation on the continent since the Second World War. "Our message to EU leaders is: Wake up. Do not delay. Do not let this problem get further out of hand."
The high levels of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in Baltic countries, eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the emergence of a new extremely drug-resistant strain have led international health officials to create the Stop TB Partnership in Europe.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.7 million people died from TB in 2004.
European countries have the highest rate of an extreme drug- resistant strain, XDR-TB.
"TB has always been low on the EU agenda. It's a mystery there has been so little concern in addressing the TB epidemic in Europe," said Michael Luhan, an official at the Geneva-based Red Cross federation. "The purpose of this partnership is to stimulate a much greater sense of concern, engagement and commitment on the part of the European Union to address this problem in its own region."
In Europe, 50 people become ill with TB and eight people die of the disease every hour. About 15 per cent of all TB cases in Europe are multi-drug-resistant.
The rate of incidence of TB in the western European countries that comprised the EU before it enlarged in 2004 is 13 cases per 100,000 people every year. That number doubles in the ten new EU members. It doubles again to 53 in Romania and Bulgaria and yet again to 98 in the former Soviet republics farther east.
http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1498762006
<!-- / message --><!-- edit note -->
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