Doctors Struggling to Fight 'Totally Drug-Resistant' Tuberculosis in South Africa

USNews.com

In a patient's fight against tuberculosis—the bacterial lung disease that kills more people annually than any infectious disease besides HIV— doctors have more than 10 drugs from which to choose. Most of those didn't work for Uvistra Naidoo, a South African doctor who contracted the disease in his clinic. For those who contract the disease now, maybe none of them will.

This is not good news.
Due to overuse of antibiotics and the adaptive nature of diseases, this type of situation is becoming more common these days. MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) comes immediately to mind. But I am sure there are many others. Maybe some more knowledgeable members are familiar with them.
Anyway, back to TB.

Like many bacterial diseases, tuberculosis has been evolving to fend off many effective antibiotics, making it more difficult to treat. But even treatable forms of the disease are particularly tricky to cure; drug sensitive strains must be treated with a six-month course of antibiotics. Tougher cases require long-term hospitalization and a regimen of harsh drugs that can last years.

I don't think this gets as much attention as it warrants. It will probably take the death of some celebrity for people to start taking notice of how quickly this could become a serious issue in developed pampered nations.

CDC Emerging Infectious Disease Journal:Emergence and Spread of Extensively and Totally Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, South Africa


Here are a few threads that are relevant.
First cases of totally drug resistant TB in India, one dead
Jacksonville, FL TB outbreak kept secret for months
New MRSA superbug strain found in UK milk supply

reply to post by watchitburn


I agree, this is important.


fyi - you might be interested in this 2007 thread on XDR-TB: Quarantine Until Death. It is full of related info.

I reckon once we find a treatment we should splice the vaccination into a grain seed and start shipping the grain to Africa en-mass.

Im pretty sure that would IN NO WAY have any disastrous consequence.

Those poor people, I sure hope somebody comes up with a fix.

Its sometimes hard to believe that in this day and age, little bacteria or whatever it is, can still pose massive threats to us.

Its almost like they don't want to cure these things.

If thats the case. And these people are completely immune to all modern antibiotics then what do these doctors and hospitals have to lose (besides big pharma support) by trying EVERY POSSIBLE method of treatment? test the claims and testimonials of all the claimed miracles of natural remedies. Oil of oregano , colloidal silver, Essiac tea among hundreds of others.

Off topic:

reply to post by Hopechest


That is the best sarcasm I have seen today! I really did LOL.

On topic:

reply to post by Retikx

The only thing to lose is that it is proven that one or more of these remedies works. If it does, then it will NEVER make it into any medical journal. Big Pharma will make sure of that!

reply to post by soficrow


Wow, that is one spectacular thread. Thanks for sharing it.



Thank you everyone else for contributing.

I cams across this article that talks of a new way to treat viruses; New Drug Can Treat Almost Any Viral Infection By Killing the Body's Infected Cells It programs the host cell to essentially commit suicide. It should be effective against all viruses.

But TB is a bacteria infection not a virus, so I don't know if it would be applicable.

reply to post by ThreeSistersofLoveandLigh


Yeah because people in south africa dont have the internet right.... they dont know how to use google?

What a joke to say these things are suppressed.

Originally posted by Hopechest
Those poor people, I sure hope somebody comes up with a fix.

Don't worry, they will.

We are only in the "reaction" phase at the moment.

reply to post by watchitburn


Nope - can't treat bacteria with anti-viral drugs. Need antibiotics. And problem is, bacteria, viruses and etc just mutate to handle everything we throw at them. Seems we should re-think our understanding of life and its interconnectedness, not just our "strategy."