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March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day. On that day in 1882, the doctor and bacteriologist Robert Koch isolated the tuberculosis, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research in the field of medicine. Although tuberculosis seems to be a forgotten disease, 1,7 billion people are infected worldwide, according to WHO data.
- Poland, with its number of tuberculosis cases, is in the infamous lead in Europe. In 2019, 5 people fell ill with it. 321 people
- In 2020, 1,4 million fewer people were treated for tuberculosis, so WHO fears that more than half a million people could have died from this infectious disease
- As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 2025 million more people will be infected with tuberculosis by 6,3 than without the epidemic
- Check your health. Just answer these questions
- More information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
Tuberculosis – what is this disease?
Tuberculosis, known in the past as “consumption” or “white plague”, is an infectious bacterial disease. It is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. They most often attack the lungs, but less often the nervous and lymphatic systems, bones and joints.
Latent is not contagious and asymptomatic, but it can develop into full-blown tuberculosis. People who are infected are at risk of developing the disease throughout their lives, so the disease may attack when the body is weakened by another serious disease.
It is estimated that 10-15 people are infected annually by one infected and untreated person.
There are three ways of transmitting Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is a droplet route where a person spreads bacteria by coughing or sneezing and through the skin. Then, people who injure themselves while working, e.g. in mortuaries or slaughterhouses, are exposed to infection. Another way of becoming infected is by drinking mycobacterial water and eating dairy products from infected cattle and raw meat. Mycobacteria are sensitive to ultraviolet radiation and high temperature, and cooking and pasteurization kill mycobacteria.
Further part below the video.
In 2020, 1,4 million fewer people were treated for tuberculosis
The World Health Organization, citing data from over 80 countries, estimates that in 2020 1,4 million fewer people were treated for this disease. Therefore, the WHO is concerned that more than half a million people may have died from this infectious disease during this time. Also because they were not properly diagnosed.
Poland, with its number of tuberculosis cases (over 2019 cases in 5), is in the infamous lead in Europe. In our country, tuberculosis was the most serious problem several decades ago – after World War II it became the main cause of death.
Although there were no precise data at that time, it is believed that the epidemiological situation in the 50s was the worst in Europe. Therefore, a national tuberculosis program was established at that time and the incidence rate began to decline.
This is due to the BCG vaccine. The name comes from Bacille Calmette-Guérin, and the drug was developed by Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin in 1921 in France. BCG has been on the WHO list of essential medicines since 1977.
Tuberculosis deaths have increased since the start of the pandemic
Unfortunately, due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, progress in fighting tuberculosis around the world may have been lost: in 2021, for the first time in 10 years, an increase in the number of deaths from tuberculosis was observed. A report by the World Health Organization estimated that 1,5 million people worldwide died of tuberculosis during that time, including 214. HIV co-infected patients in whom treatment is significantly difficult.
Studies by Imperial College London, Avenir Health, Johns Hopkins University and Stop TB Partnership – an international network of organizations fighting tuberculosis – show that COVID-19 will contract up to 2025 million more people from TB by 6,3, than if there was no pandemic. And up to 1,4 million more patients may die. Difficult diagnosis and problems with the availability of treatment are expected to contribute to this. Such an increase in tuberculosis incidence and deaths is expected to reverse the results of the international fight against tuberculosis by five to eight years.
What symptoms may indicate tuberculosis?
People most susceptible to contracting tuberculosis are people with immunity weakened by other diseases, such as cancer or diabetes. People taking certain medications, living under severe stress, neglected by poor diet, starvation, unhygienic lifestyle, stimulants, poor living conditions, poverty, the elderly and children, who can be infected with tuberculosis through breast milk, are also at risk.
It is widely believed that tuberculosis is a disease of the poor and homeless, but this is not true. Virtually everyone can get sick with it, although of course people who do not care about hygiene are more likely to get sick, because it facilitates the penetration of microorganisms into the body.
The disease very rarely has an abrupt onset: it develops slowly, with no typical symptoms in the early stages. The symptom is then a persistent cough that lasts more than three weeks. It can be accompanied by expectoration of mucopurulent secretions, often with blood, and lack of appetite, weight loss, low-grade fever and fever, night sweats, enlarged lymph nodes, drowsiness, fatigue even after slight exertion, persistent joint pain or muscle spasms.
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Treatment of tuberculosis: long and consistent
Doctors often have a problem with the correct diagnosis, so they treat patients for bronchitis, pneumonia or allergies. Therefore, to confirm tuberculosis, a bacteriological test, the so-called seeds.
Untreated tuberculosis devastates the body, and because some changes are irreversible, it is extremely important to start treatment quickly, which is mandatory in Poland according to the law.
- Find out more: Treatment of this disease is mandatory. You can go to jail for contracting it
Usually, several anti-tuberculosis and anti-inflammatory drugs are used. The therapy started at an early stage and carried out in accordance with the recommendations leads to a cure of approx. 90% of patients. sick. It is important to complete treatment, which takes many months, and not to stop treatment when symptoms have resolved, as dormant mycobacteria can be present in the body and attack after many years with greater force. If the disease is not treated properly, it can cause mycobacterial resistance, which means that a bacterial strain may develop that will not respond to the drugs.
Legal obligation to report tuberculosis cases
In Poland, data on tuberculosis cases are collected in the National Tuberculosis Register. There is also a legal obligation to notify this disease, pursuant to the Act of 5 December 2008 on combating infections and infectious diseases in humans.
The State Sanitary Inspection obliges doctors to report suspected or confirmed TB cases to the poviat sanitary and epidemiological station. A case of tuberculosis should be reported within 24 hours of diagnosis or suspicion of the disease.
We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to emotions.
Often times, a particular sight, sound or smell brings to mind a similar situation that we have already experienced. What opportunities does this give us? How does our body react to such an emotion? You will hear about this and many other aspects related to emotions below.
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