LUDHIANA: Tuberculosis has gripped the city hard. Not only is the alarming rise in number of tuberculosis patients causing alarm for the district health department, but also, the high percentage of HIV-affected TB patients is a matter of concern. According to the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) centre at Civil Hospital, nearly 367 persons including 86 women affected by tuberculosis visited the hospital reporting the problem in 2009. In 2010, the number increased to 1,226, including 421 women.
RNTCP centre sources said most TB patients who visit the centre are poor, including migrants who have come to the city to work.
Another worrisome aspect of the problem is that 10% of the TB patients in the city are HIV-positive. TB specialist DMC Jagdeep Whig said nearly 60 patients suffering from tuberculosis visit the hospital every day and 10% of them acquire HIV.
"Most of the tuberculosis patients are poor. Reasons for increasing incidence of TB include erratic diet patterns, irregular check-ups and environmental factors," he added. "We recommend that TB patients should get tested for HIV as they have low immunity and are exposed to high risk for the virus," he said.
Apollo TB specialist Akashdeep said while TB is known to be a disease more common among the economically disadvantaged, it was fairly common among the affluent too.
The number of TB patients has been increasing, but just a fraction of the total number of patients visit their hospital. He said while pollution was not a direct cause of TB, close contact with those affected by the disease and working in suffocated places causes the disease and spreads it.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/TB-incidence-on-the-rise/articleshow/7406857.cms#ixzz1DC9MnuHi
RNTCP centre sources said most TB patients who visit the centre are poor, including migrants who have come to the city to work.
Another worrisome aspect of the problem is that 10% of the TB patients in the city are HIV-positive. TB specialist DMC Jagdeep Whig said nearly 60 patients suffering from tuberculosis visit the hospital every day and 10% of them acquire HIV.
"Most of the tuberculosis patients are poor. Reasons for increasing incidence of TB include erratic diet patterns, irregular check-ups and environmental factors," he added. "We recommend that TB patients should get tested for HIV as they have low immunity and are exposed to high risk for the virus," he said.
Apollo TB specialist Akashdeep said while TB is known to be a disease more common among the economically disadvantaged, it was fairly common among the affluent too.
The number of TB patients has been increasing, but just a fraction of the total number of patients visit their hospital. He said while pollution was not a direct cause of TB, close contact with those affected by the disease and working in suffocated places causes the disease and spreads it.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/TB-incidence-on-the-rise/articleshow/7406857.cms#ixzz1DC9MnuHi
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