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Will tuberculosis become incurable?
According to an article published in The Lancet, the emergence of tuberculosis with multi-resistant and ultra-resistant bacilli will become a veritable epidemic. This is a particularly worrying phenomenon.
Mario Raviglione, Director of the WHO programme Stop Tuberculosis, confirmed to us the “extremely worrying nature of the situation. We are already facing cases of ultra-resistance in South Africa”. Ultra-resistance is even worse than the multi-resistance which has been worrying experts for several years. In this case, the tubercle bacilli are even resistant to second-line antibiotics. It is then “very difficult or even impossible to cure the patient”.
Multi-resistance is continuing to spread on every continent, in particular in the countries of the former Soviet Union, China, India and Africa. Every year over 420,000 cases show multi-resistant forms.
This plague is seriously threatening people affected by HIV-AIDS. Because of depression of their immune systems, HIV multiplies by thirty the risk of a person developing tuberculosis after contact with the tubercle bacillus. The emergence of resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs always indicates failure, caused mainly by the patient’s failure to observe treatment. And by the relaxing of efforts by governments and/or health carers.
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9 article(s)
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