Fears of 'Extreme Drug-Resistant TB' Strain

A new strain of tuberculosis has been dicovered in South Africa. It is being called 'extreme drug resistant TB'. This new strain of TB is resistant to almost every drug in the World Health Organizations (WHO) arsonal. The WHO said" We are now on the threshold of the appearance of a strain of TB that is resistant to every known medicine known to science".So far 52 people have died within weeks of becoming infected with this new strain of TB.



Apparently all the usual drugs used against TB have no effect on this new strain of "extreme drug resistant TB". The only drugs they have found to affect this new strain are very expensive and can be toxic.

The poor countries in South Africa (where 4.5 million people are infected with HIV) probably won't be able to supply their people with a treatment for this new TB due to the price of the only effective drugs that can combat this new 'exreme drug resistant TB'.

Due to the amount of people in South Africa infected with HIV and with a diminished imune system, and the high cost of the drugs to combat the new TB, it sounds like there may be an 'extreme drug resistant TB' epidemic in South Africa that may take many lives if the proper steps aren't taken to avoid this.

Related News Links:
www.health24.com
www.who.int
www.tballiance.org
news.yahoo.com

[edit on 2/9/06 by Keyhole]

TB has progressively been getting more and more difficult to stop since it's reemergence into the wild about 20 years ago. It swept through my family about 15 years ago, and everyone but me got it for some reason. Perhaps I'm immune, or I just wasn't exposed to the same people for as long, but I never needed the medication. I've had upwards of 10 tests ran, and all show up negative.

What does this all mean? It means that some people show a resilience to these strains of the disease, and if we can find those that either don't get sick when exposed, or survived the disease's onslaught, we might have a cure flowing through their very veins. All it takes is one person's blood with a stable antigen to make the disease stop in it's tracks. Humans are very resilient creatures, given the proper environment and conditions. We learn to adapt very well to the things that plague us. We've stopped so much, and I'm positive that some we'll stop this too. If any people survive, then there's hope for a cure.

TheBorg

52 out of 53 people died, sooo... 1 men left alive Why??
Maybe the doctors should check this.
I don't know but maybe they still have.
If people can survice an infection of this kind
then the answer must be in their immune system i think!

Originally posted by D0MiNAT0R 1OOO
52 out of 53 people died, sooo... 1 men left alive Why??
Maybe the doctors should check this.

This is a quote from the article you might have missed.

Among the areas found to have been affected by extreme drug-resistant TB are Latvia and South Africa. Scientists discovered the strain last month among HIV-infected patients in the Kwazulu-Natal region. 'Fifty two of the 53 infected people are already dead, and the last may well have died by now,' added Nunn.

He/she must not have been doing very well when this article was written.

[edit on 3/9/06 by Keyhole]

Man this article is about 8 years behind the times - Here in the UK we have total antibiotic resistant TB which is at high levels amongst immigrants in London and the counties surrounding it.

Poor diet, poor housing, and the lack of english language skills makes these people struggle along, till they basically drop dead, infecting others as they go along. Oh and the fact that a dr is seen as authority who may tell about treating an illegal, so they don't seek treatment.

Its not just african immigrant either - albanians and romanians are notorious carriers, along with north eastern peoples from the Kurdish regions of Turkey.

Its a pandemic waiting in the wings, the only question is how soon - It was eradicated in the UK till 1988, then the first waves of immigrants brought it back into our country, to the levels and lethality we now face. Even health care workers who get TB shots have to be extremely vigilant when dealing with non UK citizens when they first arrive here - But there is good news.

London has over 5000 witch doctors from Africa who you can consult for treatment. Kid you not.

So this is what will thin out the population. It sounds like a very efficient killer highly transmittable, and couple weeks to fatality.
I find it very hard to believe that after all these decades with all the advances and money made that we still have not conquered diseases of the past. This one once/if (hopefully never) strikes the more affluent and they tart keeling over will cause a gold rush hopefully by some pharmaceutical, bio-tech company.
In the meantime isnt there a overpopulation issue according to some pillars in Georgia.