Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Strains Worry Europeans

Featured Article
Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: MRSA / Drug Resistance;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Public Health
Article Date: 10 Oct 2006 - 11:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

European Union (EU) countries are becoming increasingly alarmed by drug resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB) which, according to the Red Cross, pose the most serious TB threat since Word War II. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the threat is already reaching the borders of the EU.

The new TB strain, which is spreading fast in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, is very hard to treat as it is resistant to most types of antibiotics. Former Soviet Union states with poor economies and public health services are seeing acute rises in TB cases.

Of all TBs reported in Europe and Central Asia this year, 15.5% are of the new resistant strains.

Cities, such as London, Paris, Rome and Madrid are starting to see an increasing incidence of TB, especially in areas of immigration and social marginalisation, says WHO.

European High-level Ministerial Forum "TB is a Regional Emergency" (WHO)

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

• Additional
• References
• Citations