Warning Over TB 'Epidemic'
By, Patrick Sawer, Evening Standard, March 10, 2007
TUBERCULOSIS cases in London increased by 11.2 per cent last year.
Figures published today show that the number of people suffering from the lung disease has risen by 31.7 per cent since 2000.
The worst-affected boroughs were Brent, with 285 cases, followed by Newham with 259, Ealing with 240 and Hounslow with 167.
Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone, who released the figures, is demanding the Government investigates and puts together a plan to combat the disease.
Ms Featherstone, the Lib-Dem spokeswoman on international development, said: "I raised this issue last year and clearly nothing has been done. How long will it take for the Government to wake up? TB is a curable disease.
This rise is, therefore, unacceptable and the apparent lack of action from the Government is unforgivable.
"It urgently needs to find out why TB cases in London are increasing and make clear how it plans to deal with this epidemic."
TB had been in steady decline in the UK until an increase in travel to and from developing countries led to a resurgence. Around 40 per cent of all UK cases are in London. TB most frequently attacks the lungs and, if left untreated, can be fatal.
Microscopic droplets of the bacteria are spread from carriers in coughs and sneezes.
Dr John Hayward of charity TB Alert said: "Increased global travel is one of the biggest factors. People are travelling to their home areas, namely Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South America.
"Any place that has high rates of HIV will also have high rates of TB because of lowered immunity."
In Britain, poorer inner-city areas provide a breeding ground, with bad diet and health leaving many people with less resistance. But Hayward, a former director of public health for Newham, warned: "You don't have to be HIV positive, born in Somalia and live in a squat to catch TB.
"You can also be a white middleclass lawyer and catch the disease."
The most common symptom coughing formore than three weeks.
Only last week, 14 hospital patients who came into contact with a new infected employee hospital in West Sussex were warned to contact doctors.
Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust said there was risk to the public.
(c) 2007 Evening Standard; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/865562/warning_over_tb_epidemic/index.html?source=r_health
TUBERCULOSIS cases in London increased by 11.2 per cent last year.
Figures published today show that the number of people suffering from the lung disease has risen by 31.7 per cent since 2000.
The worst-affected boroughs were Brent, with 285 cases, followed by Newham with 259, Ealing with 240 and Hounslow with 167.
Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone, who released the figures, is demanding the Government investigates and puts together a plan to combat the disease.
Ms Featherstone, the Lib-Dem spokeswoman on international development, said: "I raised this issue last year and clearly nothing has been done. How long will it take for the Government to wake up? TB is a curable disease.
This rise is, therefore, unacceptable and the apparent lack of action from the Government is unforgivable.
"It urgently needs to find out why TB cases in London are increasing and make clear how it plans to deal with this epidemic."
TB had been in steady decline in the UK until an increase in travel to and from developing countries led to a resurgence. Around 40 per cent of all UK cases are in London. TB most frequently attacks the lungs and, if left untreated, can be fatal.
Microscopic droplets of the bacteria are spread from carriers in coughs and sneezes.
Dr John Hayward of charity TB Alert said: "Increased global travel is one of the biggest factors. People are travelling to their home areas, namely Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South America.
"Any place that has high rates of HIV will also have high rates of TB because of lowered immunity."
In Britain, poorer inner-city areas provide a breeding ground, with bad diet and health leaving many people with less resistance. But Hayward, a former director of public health for Newham, warned: "You don't have to be HIV positive, born in Somalia and live in a squat to catch TB.
"You can also be a white middleclass lawyer and catch the disease."
The most common symptom coughing formore than three weeks.
Only last week, 14 hospital patients who came into contact with a new infected employee hospital in West Sussex were warned to contact doctors.
Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust said there was risk to the public.
(c) 2007 Evening Standard; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/865562/warning_over_tb_epidemic/index.html?source=r_health
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