TUBERCULOSIS (TB) is a big public health problem for many countries around the world, developing and developed. Nevertheless, over the last five years, Guyana has brought both the incidence and mortality rate of this pervasive disease under control, thanks to the efforts of the National Tuberculosis Programme.

As obtains every year on March 24 — World Tuberculosis Day — a large team comprising representatives from various bodies collaborated to conduct a medical outreach and set up camp at the Mahaicony Hospital on the eve of World Tuberculosis Day. The outreach benefited over 300 persons from Mahaicony and surrounding communities, who cashed in on the many ancillary health services provided by the health care specialists, besides the food, footwear and other items provided by Food for the Poor, a partner in this venture.
Visitors were able to get their blood pressure checked; receive vaccinations; have their body weight determined, donate blood, take a pledge to protect themselves from HIV, access many health care brochures, speak with a health care professional, take a TB quiz, and more.
Discussing the prevalence of TB with Programme Manager, Dr. Jeetendra Mohanlall, this reporter was made to learn that it is possible to have the disease without manifesting any of the symptoms. TB may be hidden or latent in some persons, and they may not show any symptoms.
However, someone with active TB will show some or all of the following signs: A persistent cough lasting more than two weeks; coughing up thick cold (sputum) or blood; feeling generally weak or tired; losing weight and lacking appetite; experiencing chills, fever or night sweats; experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath.
According to “Could it be TB?” a brochure published by the programme, a person can know for sure if they have TB by getting screened or tested with a TB test (also called a Manoux Test). That person would be given an injection that feels like a light pinch, and they should make sure they do not scrub, wash, bandage or rub lotions on that spot. After three days, they should return to get the TB skin test read, and then they would know the result of that test.
According to “The danger of TB/HIV co-infection”, published in the Guyana Chronicle of Saturday, October 23, 2010, Tuberculosis is the leading infectious killer of people living with HIV, who are more likely to get TB, since it is an opportunistic infection that attacks their suppressed immune systems.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), TB accounts for an estimated 13% of AIDS deaths worldwide. Research has shown that people who are co-infected with both HIV and latent TB have an up to 800 times greater risk of developing active tuberculosis disease and becoming infectious, compared to people not infected with HIV.
Moreover, a person who has both HIV and ‘active tuberculosis’ is considered as having an AIDS defining illness.
HIV and TB are referred to as co-epidemics or dual epidemics. They drive and reinforce each other: HIV activates latent TB in a person, who then becomes infectious and is able to spread the TB bacillus to others.
In cases where normally a person can live with latent TB infection, even for a lifetime, and never have it developing into a disease; contracting HIV can very quickly change that person’s status into having active TB disease. Once the person becomes infected, that person is able to infect others.
The article states that left untreated, someone with active tuberculosis or TB disease will infect an estimated 10 to 15 persons per year. Increasingly, people with latent tuberculosis are becoming infected with HIV, ultimately triggering active TB; hence it is very important for such persons to heed the message of HIV prevention. If they don’t, given that their immune system would have become weakened after contracting HIV, they are now at risk for developing active TB.

HOW IS TB SPREAD?
Tuberculosis is spread through the air when a person with untreated pulmonary TB coughs or sneezes. Prolonged exposure to a person with untreated TB usually is necessary for infection to occur. The TB bacillus is easily spread from person to person in hot and congested or overcrowded places. According to “Could it be TB”, a person is more likely to become infected with TB under the following conditions: If that person has been around someone who has TB; has spent time in crowded places, like a camp, jail, shelter etc.; is HIV positive or has diabetes, cancer, or other diseases that weaken their ability to fight infection; uses alcohol or illegal drugs.
The brochure advises that, to avoid spreading TB, a person should take their medication as directed by a doctor; keep their home ventilated by opening as many windows as possible; avoid being in closed spaces with others when they are infected; keep themselves and their surroundings germ-free; refrain from spitting in places shared by others; wash their hands often with soap and clean water; cover their mouth when they are about to cough.
TB is not spread through physical contact, like touching bed sheets or a toilet seat, by shaking hands, kissing or sharing food or drink.
Persons seeking more information on this disease are invited to contact telephone numbers 225-7290 or 223-7138.