New Research Suggest Smoking May Be Adding To Global TB Burden

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 12 Nov 2007 - 11:00 PDT

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According to research presented at a global lung health conference in Cape Town, smoking may be responsible for up to a fifth of tuberculosis (TB) infections and deaths worldwide.

Karen Slama, head of operational research at the union's tobacco control department said, "More than 20 percent of the global TB burden may be attributable to smoking. Smoking may increase the risk by about 20 percent of either getting infected or dying."

She added that three separate reviews into tobacco use and TB infection, yielded sufficient evidence of a link.

The research also found a significant link between passive smoking and TB infection.

"Among people infected with TB, effective tobacco control can lower the number of people that go from (latent) infection to disease to death," Slama said.

"Tobacco control can also reduce the pool of people that have TB. You can save millions of dollars in TB treatment costs."

http://www.ash.org.uk