Childhood tuberculosis a ‘hidden epidemic’

Children with TB face "severe, often fatal forms of TB, such as TB-meningitis, which can leave them blind, deaf, paralyzed or mentally disabled”. About 200 children die from tuberculosis EVERY DAY - and every year at least 500,000 babies and children become infected with TB worldwide. Plus, even kids can get multi-drug-resistant TB, which has been spreading around the world for almost a decade.

Problem is, kids are extremely under-diagnosed - the standard test is 130 years old and doesn't work on kids. At the very least, we need to start using tests appropriate to children.

Globally, an estimated 200 children die from tuberculosis every day despite the availability of cheap drugs to prevent and treat this highly infectious condition, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

...Every year at least 500,000 babies and children become infected with TB worldwide, and according to WHO an estimated 70,000 die of it. The organization noted that most developing countries still use a diagnosis method developed 130 years ago – the patient coughs up a sample of sputum, which young children are generally unable to produce – and even if a child with active TB succeeds in providing a sample, it often contains no detectable bacteria.

Infants and young children are as much at risk of developing drug-resistant TB as adults, and are at particularly risk of developing “severe, often fatal forms of TB, such as TB-meningitis, which can leave them blind, deaf, paralyzed or mentally disabled”.

Your posts really are wonderful.
As an aspiring epidemiologist, I appreciate when others face the threat of bio terrorism, not ignore it.

Tuberculosis can prove fatal if not detected at early stage and it also it may cause adverse effects on body. So it is better to get it cured and cared for.
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