Top 8 facts on TB
TB is curable and 42 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2014.
MARCH is Tuberculosis Awareness Month and, according to the World Health Organisation, it is a top infectious disease killer worldwide.
More than nine million people are diagnosed with TB every year and one in three HIV deaths is due to TB. South Africa is said to be among the countries with the highest TB infections in the world.
ER24 advises people who suspect they have developed TB to seek medical attention as well as urges those diagnosed with the illness to take their medication as prescribed by their medical practitioner.
Below are some facts about TB that people should take note of:
1. TB, an infectious disease that is spread through the air, is caused by a bacterium called mycobacterium tuberculosis. Respiratory spread occurs when a person who has active tuberculosis coughs, sneezes or spits.
2. TB usually affects the lungs, however it can affect other parts of the body such as the brain and kidneys.
3. Symptoms include a prolonged cough, fevers, night sweats, weight and appetite loss, tiredness, weakness, chest pain and coughing up blood.
4. People who are HIV-positive, diabetic or smoke have a higher chance of developing TB.
5. There is a greater chance of TB spreading in small spaces and overcrowded and poorly ventilated areas.
6. A person only contracts the illness if they inhale TB germs. Hence it cannot be contracted by shaking hands, touching toilet seats and sharing food.
7. To prevent the spread of any germs, people should always turn away from others and cough into their arm or into a tissue. Dispose of the tissue immediately.
8. Although TB is contagious, it is not easy to catch. A person is more likely to get TB from someone they live or work with rather than from a stranger. “Most people with active TB are no longer contagious if they had appropriate drug treatment for at least two weeks,” said Chitra Bodasing, spokesman for ER24.
