Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Uganda Monitor
Published on 2024-03-30 19:00:00
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant challenge in Africa, with four out of five individuals carrying the infection without being detected. This poses a serious threat to TB control efforts as the infection can easily spread among the population. Researchers have highlighted the concerning fact that more than 80 percent of TB patients do not display the typical symptom of a persistent cough, which is traditionally associated with the disease.
The traditional belief that TB is primarily transmitted through coughing is being challenged by recent studies suggesting that the infection can also be spread through simple breathing. This new perspective on transmission raises concerns about the potential for unknowing transmission of TB by those who have tested negative for the infection.
A study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases revealed that a large percentage of individuals with TB in Africa and Asia did not exhibit any cough symptoms. In fact, 82.8 percent of TB patients had no persistent cough, and 62.5 percent had no cough at all. This challenges existing TB control programs that rely on persistent cough as the primary symptom for diagnosing the infection.
The study also found that a significant number of TB patients without cough symptoms had high bacterial loads in their sputum, making them highly infectious. This suggests that the current diagnostic criteria may be missing a considerable number of TB cases, contributing to the ongoing burden of TB in Africa and Asia.
The findings of the study underscore the need to rethink current strategies for identifying and diagnosing TB patients. In high-incidence settings, the lack of typical symptoms like a persistent cough could lead to delayed diagnoses and increased disease transmission. It is crucial to explore alternative screening methods, such as X-ray screening and the development of new, affordable diagnostic tests to improve TB detection rates.
Despite significant progress in TB diagnosis and treatment, there is still a substantial gap between the estimated number of TB cases and those that are actually diagnosed and treated. This gap contributes to the persistence of TB as a major health issue in Africa and Asia, where the disease continues to take a heavy toll on the population.
In Africa, TB is the second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, surpassing even HIV and Aids. With millions of new TB cases reported annually on the continent, there is an urgent need to improve TB detection and treatment to reduce the impact of the disease on public health. By reevaluating current approaches to TB diagnosis and focusing on innovative screening methods, we can work towards reducing the burden of TB in Africa and around the world.
Read the original article on Uganda Monitor
