Ten XDR-TB cases in North West

[ruthbeme]

Friday October 06, 2006 14:23 - (SA)

Ten cases of the extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) have been reported in North West, the provincial health department said on Friday.

Spokesman Lesiba Molala said four people have since died from the disease, while six others were being monitored at the Tshepong hospital complex in Klerksdorp.

"Whenever we identify a case we screen the affected person's immediate family members to check if they are infected or not," Molala said.

He said community health workers and district TB co-ordinators were monitoring their areas, especially in the Bojanala district - where three of the reported cases were identified - and the Bophirima and the Kosh areas.

Molala could not say when the four people died saying only that they died way before the beginning of this year.

"This is not a new case, we've had these incidents since 2002 and we encourage people to finish their treatment."

Other provinces affected by the outbreak are Gauteng, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.

KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of reported incidents and a total of 74 people has died since last year.

Sapa
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimesNEW/newsst/newsst1160137418.aspx

 

[ruthbeme]

Re: Ten XDR-TB cases in North West

Killer? TB has reached North West
By Kerryn van der Westhuyzen
JOHANNESBURG ? Extreme Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has seeped into North West Province.
North West MEC for Health, Nomonde Rasmeni confirmed 10 XDR patients had been identified in the province. Of the 10 identified, four deaths had occurred.
Rasmeni explained that in 2000 there were just more than 10 000 TB patients in North West. Last year, there were 27 209 TB patients treated. This implied there had been a 170% increase in TB during the past six years.
According to the Department this increase was the result of better detection through a strengthened Provincial TB programme, and the effect of the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Rasmeni admitted that XDR-TB was placing an increased strain on the limited resources of the public health system.
?An ordinary TB case costs about R700 and six months to treat.
?MDR TB (Multi Drug Resistant TB) costs R32 000 per patient and that takes two years to complete? she said.
The North West department has urged TB patients to complete the full course of treatment and will have no choice but to put defaulters in hospital to ensure they get cured. The department has assured North West residents that the chances of contracting XDR TB are very small at this stage.
The province has called on the National Health Department, the South African Development Community (SADC) as well as international agencies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to address the problem.
In KwaZulu-Natal, 11 people have succumbed to the disease since last month. In total there have been 74 reported deaths in the province since last year.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Health Department has confirmed six cases of XDR-TB in the province. Three patients are being treated at the Sizwe Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Edenvale.
The WHO will host a conference next week in Geneva, Switzerland, to outline immediate measures to combat the disease.
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