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Trans-Atlantic Journey To Wed Lands XDR TB-Infected Georgia Man in Quarantine |
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Written by Andrew Davidson
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Wednesday, 30 May 2007 |
Historically tuberculosis has been identified as a deadly disease plaguing man over the centuries. With the development of newer and power drugs, the disease was brought under control toward the latter part of the last century. However misuse and overuse of these drugs resulted in the development of drug resistant strains f the tubercule bacteria.
Now a Georgia man has been infected with a rare and potentially lethal form of the disease called extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB).
Yesterday May 29, 2007 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning that the man might have potentially infected his fellow passengers during the two trans-Atlantic journeys he undertook. The CDC also said these passengers, mostly from Europe needed to take a test to be on the safer side.
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) is resistant to the most powerful first-line and second-line drugs used for treating tuberculosis, according to the CDC. The unidentified man was placed under federal quarantine at Grady Memorial Hospital.
Speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the man said although doctors asked him to avoid travel, they did not order him stay away. He clarified that he had flown to Greece for his wedding and honeymoon. He also said he mainly flew to Canada to avoid the no-fly on his US passport.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of CDC said long flights were especially dangerous because the infected man was in prolonged contact with fellow passengers. Speaking to ABC's "Good Morning America", she added that tuberculosis was transmitted from person to person through the air.
Extensively drug resistant tuberculosis spreads from person to person through air. The mode of transmission is usually through vapor droplets. The CDC says that when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings, he can pass on the germs that cause tuberculosis. People who breathe in this germ-filled air are at a high risk of getting infected.
Infected patients experience sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. Tuberculosis mainly affects the lungs, but kidneys and bones can also be infected. XDR TB is not all that prevalent in the United States. Between 1993 to 2006 some 49 cases of documented XDR TB infections have been identified in the United States, according to the CDC's Division of Tuberculosis Elimination. Last year just two cases were diagnosed.
Overall the powerful TB drugs like rifampicin and isoniazid have drastically reduced the number of TB cases in the country. Last year 13,767 cases of all TB were documented in the US.
XDR TB is usually treated by multiple drugs although surgery may be required in some cases.
As a precautionary measure, the CDC has asked local health authorities to notify all the concerned travelers and test them for tuberculosis. It is not clear how the man contacted XDR TB. It is speculated that he might have contacted the disease when he traveled to Asia, where the condition is highly prevalent.
According to the CDC, Drug-resistant TB (MDR or XDR) is more common in people who:
* Do not take their TB medicine regularly
* Do not take all of their TB medicines as told by their doctor or nurse
* Develop active TB disease again, after having taken TB medicine in the past
* Come from areas of the world where drug-resistant TB is common
* Have spent time with someone known to have drug-resistant TB disease
Following this incident, the CDC has issued a health alert, which can be viewed at the CDC Website by visiting http://www2a.cdc.gov/HAN/ArchiveSys/ViewMsgV.asp?AlertNum=00262
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 May 2007 )
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Health 
People like this are just ignorant!