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Source: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=321137&sc=79
Last updated at 8:21 AM on 25/01/10
TB cases continue in Labrador
Data shows another outbreak in 2009
ALISHA MORRISSEY
The Telegram
Recently released numbers, show there was yet another outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Labrador in 2009.
Officials with the Labrador health authority say 16 cases were identified, illustrating how difficult it is to eliminate TB from Labrador.
Dr. Muna Ar-Rushdi, medical officer of health with Labrador-Grenfell Health, says the health authority usually gets between two and three cases of active tuberculosis a year in the region, but they have had bigger outbreaks than the one in 2009.
"Even though our numbers have been going down they're still higher than our national average incident rate," says Ar-Rushdi, explaining that the rate is calculated based on cases per 100,000 people.
Throughout the last decade in Labrador, the rate of TB infections has been just about double the national average.
"That is because TB is endemic to Labrador and a lot of the factors associated to tuberculosis such as treatment, access to care, long-term follow up, housing, nutrition, social/economic status have not developed. We have a high concentration of aboriginals," Ar-Rushdi says. "There are a lot of factors that are associated with aboriginals and even just other people that I've cited to you in terms of dealing with tuberculosis. The past TB control programs and activities never really eliminated the prevalence of tuberculosis diseases in the region."
Health officials try to trace every case of TB to find the origin of the infection and anyone else who is potentially carrying a latent form of the illness.
Each person who had close contact with the infected person is interviewed and evaluated for symptoms, in-cluding a tuberculin skin test.
Based on the two tests, they may have more tests done, including a chest X-ray to determine whether they have a TB infection.
"We'll never be able to eliminate TB to an adequate level where we could control it," Ar-Rushdi says.
Adding to the problem is that TB is a disease that can be carried for a long time before the right factors to make the disease go active appear.
Treatment challenges
As well, if treatment for latent TB is started, it's often not finished, Ar-Rushdi says because it could be six- to nine-months worth of antibiotics.
"It is difficult for people to take medications for that long," Ar-Rushdi says, pointing out that there are sometimes side effects, reactions with other medications and alcohol, or people simply can't keep up the regimen.
amorrissey@thetelegram.com
TB BY THE NUMBERS
The national average rate of TB infections is calculated per 100,000 people. In 2007 and 2008 the rate was 4.8. The rate in Labrador wasn't quite double that.
Between 2006 and 2008 there were seven TB cases in Labrador-Grenfell region.
Between 1998 and 2001 in the Labrador-Grenfell region the number of cases were 15 with an average rate of 9.4 per 100,000 per year.
Between 2002 and 2005 there were 10 cases and that translated to 6.5 per 100,000 per population per year in the Labrador-Grenfell region.
Between 2006-2008 there were a total of seven cases reported in the Labrador-Grenfell region and that translated to an average rate of 6.3.
Source: Labrador-Grenfell Health Authority
Last updated at 8:21 AM on 25/01/10
TB cases continue in Labrador
Data shows another outbreak in 2009
ALISHA MORRISSEY
The Telegram
Recently released numbers, show there was yet another outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Labrador in 2009.
Officials with the Labrador health authority say 16 cases were identified, illustrating how difficult it is to eliminate TB from Labrador.
Dr. Muna Ar-Rushdi, medical officer of health with Labrador-Grenfell Health, says the health authority usually gets between two and three cases of active tuberculosis a year in the region, but they have had bigger outbreaks than the one in 2009.
"Even though our numbers have been going down they're still higher than our national average incident rate," says Ar-Rushdi, explaining that the rate is calculated based on cases per 100,000 people.
Throughout the last decade in Labrador, the rate of TB infections has been just about double the national average.
"That is because TB is endemic to Labrador and a lot of the factors associated to tuberculosis such as treatment, access to care, long-term follow up, housing, nutrition, social/economic status have not developed. We have a high concentration of aboriginals," Ar-Rushdi says. "There are a lot of factors that are associated with aboriginals and even just other people that I've cited to you in terms of dealing with tuberculosis. The past TB control programs and activities never really eliminated the prevalence of tuberculosis diseases in the region."
Health officials try to trace every case of TB to find the origin of the infection and anyone else who is potentially carrying a latent form of the illness.
Each person who had close contact with the infected person is interviewed and evaluated for symptoms, in-cluding a tuberculin skin test.
Based on the two tests, they may have more tests done, including a chest X-ray to determine whether they have a TB infection.
"We'll never be able to eliminate TB to an adequate level where we could control it," Ar-Rushdi says.
Adding to the problem is that TB is a disease that can be carried for a long time before the right factors to make the disease go active appear.
Treatment challenges
As well, if treatment for latent TB is started, it's often not finished, Ar-Rushdi says because it could be six- to nine-months worth of antibiotics.
"It is difficult for people to take medications for that long," Ar-Rushdi says, pointing out that there are sometimes side effects, reactions with other medications and alcohol, or people simply can't keep up the regimen.
amorrissey@thetelegram.com
TB BY THE NUMBERS
The national average rate of TB infections is calculated per 100,000 people. In 2007 and 2008 the rate was 4.8. The rate in Labrador wasn't quite double that.
Between 2006 and 2008 there were seven TB cases in Labrador-Grenfell region.
Between 1998 and 2001 in the Labrador-Grenfell region the number of cases were 15 with an average rate of 9.4 per 100,000 per year.
Between 2002 and 2005 there were 10 cases and that translated to 6.5 per 100,000 per population per year in the Labrador-Grenfell region.
Between 2006-2008 there were a total of seven cases reported in the Labrador-Grenfell region and that translated to an average rate of 6.3.
Source: Labrador-Grenfell Health Authority