The world-wide increase in tuberculosis: how demographic changes, HIV infection and increasing numbers in poverty are increasing tuberculosis

Abstract

After more than a century of decline, in the mid 1980s tuberculosis began to increase in some developed countries. Health care workers were then forced to look to the developing world, where they found tuberculosis to be out of control, in many countries. It is now appreciated that tuberculosis is not only increasing globally but is likely to do so beyond the next decade for three principal reasons. First, demographically as the expected population increase will be greatest in areas of the world where tuberculosis is most prevalent, particularly middle Africa and South Asia. Secondly, the increase of HIV, which renders the host uniquely susceptible to tuberculosis, is occurring in the same areas of the world and is already causing an increase in tuberculosis case rates of up to tenfold. Thirdly, as more and more people are forced to live in poverty, where poor nutrition and crowded conditions lead to the spread of tuberculosis, the disease risk will be compounded. Sound medical management, particularly the use of the five components of directly observed therapy, will relieve the situation. But until world conditions of poverty and HIV spread are addressed, it is unlikely that tuberculosis can be controlled.

Use of Genotype MTBDR Assay for Molecular Detection of Rifampin and Isoniazid Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Strains Isolated in Italy

“…Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB; resistant at least to rifampin and isoniazid) requires prolonged and expensive chemotherapy, with low cure and high fatality rates (8). In several Eastern European countries economic crisis and health system weaknesses have led to an increase in the numbers of TB cases, together with the establishment of hot spots for MDR-TB.…”

A New Era of Pulmonary Delivery of Nano-antimicrobial Therapeutics to Treat Chronic Pulmonary Infections

“…Mycobacterial infections: Tuberculosis (TB), a ubiquitous and highly contagious chronic bacterial infection caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis has re-emerged dramatically since the mid-1980s, particularly since the emergence of HIV infection, which renders the host 20-30 times more susceptible to infection by mycobacterium [71]. According to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2013, TB affected about 8.6 million people in 2012, of which 1.3 million died from TB [72].…”

Tuberculosis in a developing country — how much patients know about disease

“…Unemployment rose from 10.1% in 1993 to 14.8% in 2003 in most developed parts of the country [5,6]. At the same time, in Serbia, the incidence of TB increased from 28 per 100,000 to 37.6.…”

“…At the same time, in Serbia, the incidence of TB increased from 28 per 100,000 to 37.6. A worsened epidemiological condition in Serbia was caused by wars and migrations of the population from their former places of residence (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo) [7][8][9][10][11].…”