Tuberculosis: Cases of resistance threaten public health

The cases of an increasing number of tuberculosis resistant to treatment, seriously threatens public health because they are insufficiently diagnosed, has alarmed Thursday the World Health Organization (WHO).

"There has been much progress on TB control, but these gains are now threatened by the occurrence of resistance," said Head of tuberculosis resistant to the WHO, Ernesto Jaramillo, presenting to the press the new Report 2010 of tuberculosis.

WHO estimates that each year about 10 million new TB cases, half a million people contract a more severe form that is resistant to conventional treatment, of which 150,000 die.

Only 7% of these cases are diagnosed and treated. "One third (of people) die without diagnosis or treatment," said an author of the report, Mateo Zignol, believing it to be a "serious threat to global health."

Especially since these sick people "spreading infection long before dying," said Jaramillo.

But these figures are not inevitable, insists the WHO expert, because there are ways to counter this trend. In Russia always two regions - Tomsk and Orel - which the WHO had identified a few years ago a rapid increase in resistant forms, register now declining.

Because, he says, these two regions have implemented the recommended measures, including a test to distinguish between forms resistant tuberculosis and classic way to tailor therapy. This example shows that the problem is solvable, insists Mr. Zignol.

"The improved controls" remains the priority, the report notes that the number of laboratories capable of detecting cases of resistance is very low. In Africa in particular, only two laboratories can diagnose most extreme forms of resistant tuberculosis.

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