Jessica Molinar : February 8, 2011
For many El Pasoans tuberculosis is a disease that is not even on their radar. This despite the fact that Texas has the second highest number of tuberculosis cases in the country, and El Paso has the second highest number of cases among border counties.
“Tuberculosis continues to be an issue in El Paso,” according to Lucy Menchaca, supervisor at El Paso's Tuberculosis Clinic. In 2009 El Paso had 57 cases of tuberculosis. The official numbers for 2010 will not be released until March.
Menchaca points out that the cases the clinic treats are just the ones being reported. There are many tuberculosis cases that “don't get medical care, or are being misdiagnosed,” said Menchaca.
Treating tuberculosis at the onset of the disease is a priority for public health officials. El Paso's Tuberculosis Clinic includes in their treatment the use of directly observed therapy (D.O.T.), which consists of outreach workers going directly to the patients home to make sure that they are diligently taking their medication. One reason why medical practitioners are incorporating this form of oversight is that if tuberculosis is left untreated, or treatment is stopped before full recovery, then the disease can become multidrug resistant.
“We are seeing more, and more cases of tuberculosis that is resistant to the antibiotics,” shared Dr. Hector Ocaranza, El Paso's City Health Authority.
The treatment of multidrug resistance tuberculosis can run anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000 per year to treat, and treatment lasts two to three years. In contrast, tuberculosis that has not developed drug resistance costs around $250 per year to treat.
Clinics throughout the country face difficulties in trying to get people on treatment early because many people avoid going to the doctor due to lack of money, insurance and tuberculosis' stigma.
“There is stigma associated with tuberculosis,” said Menchaca. The disease has been primarily associated with low-income and homeless people. Additionally, Menchaca points out that “a lot of people think that by shaking hands your going to get tuberculosis, and really you need prolonged exposure to someone who has TB [tuberculosis]”.
But in border communities there is an added stigma to tuberculosis. There are some who believe that tuberculosis is often from the U.S. border county's southern neighbor.
“It's not specific to Mexicans or people of Mexican origins,” stresses Eva Moya, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work College of Health Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, who has studied tuberculosis along the US-Mexico border.
Tuberculosis continues to be a global problem. Contact your physician for a TB test if you experience the following symptoms: chronic cough with phlegm, fever, weakness, loss of appetite, or weight loss.
http://www.ktsm.com/official-tuberculosis-an-issue-in-el-paso
For many El Pasoans tuberculosis is a disease that is not even on their radar. This despite the fact that Texas has the second highest number of tuberculosis cases in the country, and El Paso has the second highest number of cases among border counties.
“Tuberculosis continues to be an issue in El Paso,” according to Lucy Menchaca, supervisor at El Paso's Tuberculosis Clinic. In 2009 El Paso had 57 cases of tuberculosis. The official numbers for 2010 will not be released until March.
Menchaca points out that the cases the clinic treats are just the ones being reported. There are many tuberculosis cases that “don't get medical care, or are being misdiagnosed,” said Menchaca.
Treating tuberculosis at the onset of the disease is a priority for public health officials. El Paso's Tuberculosis Clinic includes in their treatment the use of directly observed therapy (D.O.T.), which consists of outreach workers going directly to the patients home to make sure that they are diligently taking their medication. One reason why medical practitioners are incorporating this form of oversight is that if tuberculosis is left untreated, or treatment is stopped before full recovery, then the disease can become multidrug resistant.
“We are seeing more, and more cases of tuberculosis that is resistant to the antibiotics,” shared Dr. Hector Ocaranza, El Paso's City Health Authority.
The treatment of multidrug resistance tuberculosis can run anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000 per year to treat, and treatment lasts two to three years. In contrast, tuberculosis that has not developed drug resistance costs around $250 per year to treat.
Clinics throughout the country face difficulties in trying to get people on treatment early because many people avoid going to the doctor due to lack of money, insurance and tuberculosis' stigma.
“There is stigma associated with tuberculosis,” said Menchaca. The disease has been primarily associated with low-income and homeless people. Additionally, Menchaca points out that “a lot of people think that by shaking hands your going to get tuberculosis, and really you need prolonged exposure to someone who has TB [tuberculosis]”.
But in border communities there is an added stigma to tuberculosis. There are some who believe that tuberculosis is often from the U.S. border county's southern neighbor.
“It's not specific to Mexicans or people of Mexican origins,” stresses Eva Moya, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work College of Health Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, who has studied tuberculosis along the US-Mexico border.
Tuberculosis continues to be a global problem. Contact your physician for a TB test if you experience the following symptoms: chronic cough with phlegm, fever, weakness, loss of appetite, or weight loss.
http://www.ktsm.com/official-tuberculosis-an-issue-in-el-paso
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