WHO Warns About Drug-Resistant TB Outbreak

The World Health Organization warned people on Thursday that a drug-resistant TB outbreak threatens worldwide nations. According to the Associated Press the study was carried out on more than eight nations and results have shown that many cases of TB were resistant to first and second line medicines.

Humanity could be in danger of dealing with another tuberculosis epidemic, according to the findings reported by a new study published in "The Lancet". Scientists have gathered 1,278 patients from several countries, including Estonia, Latvia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, and Thailand. Respondents were carefully studied from 2005 to 2008 while they were given various treatments. Scientists have thus, discovered that patients were suffering from highly resistant TB cases whose occurrence could increase in the future unless officials do something to prevent them.

The study's main goal was to identify the factors that have contributed to the resistance of the disease. In addition, scientists tried to find new methods and treatments that could help cure patients with multi-drug resistant TB before the illness becomes a worldwide epidemic.

Patients who were included in the study reported high levels of XDR-TB. Their affection did not respond to the first line treatment that was given to them, namely, isoniazid and rifampin, but also to the second-line fluoroquinolone drugs. TB patients were also treated with injectable drugs, such as, amikacin, capreomycin, or kanamycin, but their state did not improve at all.

The most resistant cases of TB were the ones of the patients who underwent medical treatment without curing completely. Socioeconomic factors, such as, unemployment, alcohol abuse, and smoking represent the other reasons why patients developed highly resistant cases of tuberculosis. In researchers' opinion, these factors should be taken into account if health organizations want to prevent this disease from spreading towards other unaffected areas. As in the case of the less resistant TB, a correct hygiene is considered essential to prevent similar epidemics in the future. (dailygossip.org)