Suchergebnisse

Funding: This research was funded by a Strategic Award grant from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (grant DRIA2014-309) and its cofounders, the Medical Research Council UK, and Institutode Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain (PI116/01912); and from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 823854 (INNOVA4TB). ; Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is increasingly based on the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) DNA in sputum using molecular diagnostic tests as the first test for diagnosis. However, sputum can be difficult to obtain in children, patients without productive cough, and the elderly and approaches testing non-sputum samples are needed. We evaluated whether TB can be detected from the oral mucosa of patients with TB. Adults with presumptive TB were examined using culture, Xpert MTB/RIF, smear microscopy and X-Rays. Oral mucosa swabs collected on PrimeStore-MTM, stored at room temperature if tested within 30 days or at −20 °C if examined at a later time. RT-PCR was performed to detect M. tuberculosis DNA. Eighty patients had bacteriologically-confirmed TB, 34 had bacteriologically-negative TB (negative tests but abnormal X-rays) and 152 were considered not to have TB (not TB). Oral swabs RT-PCR were positive in 29/80 (36.3%) bacteriologically-confirmed, 9/34 (26.5%) bacteriologically-negative and 29/152 (19.1%) not TB. The yield varied among samples stored for less and more than 30 days (p = 0.013) from 61% (11/18) and 29% (18/62) among bacteriologically confirmed, and 30.8% (4/13) and 23.8% (5/21) among bacteriologically-negative participants. Among not TB patients, the specificity was 80.9% (123/152), being 78.3% (18/23) among samples stored less than 30 days and 81.4% (105/129) among samples stored for more than 30 days (p = 0.46). The detection of M. tuberculosis in oral mucosa samples is feasible, but storage conditions may affect the yield. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed

Hoarseness is a common clinical condition with underlying causes which can vary from reversible and benign to life-threatening and malignant. Cardiovocal syndrome may cause hoarseness secondary to left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy when the recurrent laryngeal nerve is mechanically affected due to enlarged cardiovascular structures. We report a 28-year-old male who presented to the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, India, in 2013 with hoarseness. He had undergone irregular treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) two years previously. Fiber-optic laryngoscopy indicated left vocal cord palsy and a computed tomography scan of the chest revealed features of pulmonary hypertension with extensive enlargement of the pulmonary arteries. An echocardiogram confirmed severe pulmonary arterial hypertension with severe tricuspid regurgitation. He was diagnosed with left recurrent laryngeal palsy secondary to cardiovocal syndrome. Although reports exist of recurrent laryngeal palsy in TB, this case appears to be the first to report cardiovocal syndrome in a patient treated for pulmonary TB.

Hoarseness is a common clinical condition with underlying causes which can vary from reversible and benign to life-threatening and malignant. Cardiovocal syndrome may cause hoarseness secondary to left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy when the recurrent laryngeal nerve is mechanically affected due to enlarged cardiovascular structures. We report a 28-year-old male who presented to the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, India, in 2013 with hoarseness. He had undergone irregular treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) two years previously. Fiber-optic laryngoscopy indicated left vocal cord palsy and a computed tomography scan of the chest revealed features of pulmonary hypertension with extensive enlargement of the pulmonary arteries. An echocardiogram confirmed severe pulmonary arterial hypertension with severe tricuspid regurgitation. He was diagnosed with left recurrent laryngeal palsy secondary to cardiovocal syndrome. Although reports exist of recurrent laryngeal palsy in TB, this case appears to be the first to report cardiovocal syndrome in a patient treated for pulmonary TB.

Provides a poster-style overview of the prevalence and costs of tuberculosis around the world.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global public health problem, with developing countries bearing the highest burden. Nigeria is first in Africa and sixth in the world among the countries with the highest TB burden, but is among the 10 countries accounting for over 70% of the global gap in TB case detection and notification. Enugu State, Nigeria reportedly has a notification gap of almost 14,000 TB cases; a situation which must be addressed. Methodology: A total of 868 individuals accessing DOTS services in designated centres within the six Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Enugu North geographical zone, were recruited into the study. The participants were screened for HIV seropositivity by standard protocols, while screening for TB and drug-resistant TB were conducted by a combination of Zhiel Neelsen staining and Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (Xpert® MTB/Rif). Results: Of the 868 subjects that participated in the study, 176 (20.3%) were HIV seropositive. The highest prevalence (26.7%) of HIV was recorded in Udenu LGA, while the least (13.1%) was recorded in Nsukka LGA. Overall TB prevalence was found to be 22.1% and 21.3% by sputum-smear and NAAT, respectively. Uzo Uwani LGA recorded the highest prevalence of both TB (33.3%) and TB/HIV co-infection (16.7%), but the lowest prevalence of resistant TB. Nsukka LGA had the highest prevalence of resistant TB. Conclusion: Enugu North geographical zone, Nigeria, has a high prevalence of both HIV and TB, including resistant TB and there is need to increase monitoring of this region.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global public health problem, with developing countries bearing the highest burden. Nigeria is first in Africa and sixth in the world among the countries with the highest TB burden, but is among the 10 countries accounting for over 70% of the global gap in TB case detection and notification. Enugu State, Nigeria reportedly has a notification gap of almost 14,000 TB cases; a situation which must be addressed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total number of 868 individuals accessing DOTS services in designated centres within the six Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Enugu North geographical zone, was recruited into the study. The participants were screened for HIV seropositivity by standard protocols, while screening for TB and drug-resistant TB were conducted by a combination of Zhiel Neelsen staining and Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (Xpert(®) MTB/Rif). RESULTS: Of the 868 subjects that participated in the study, 176 (20.3%) were HIV seropositive. The highest prevalence (26.7%) of HIV was recorded in Udenu LGA, while the least (13.1%) was recorded in Nsukka LGA. Overall TB prevalence was found to be 22.1% and 21.3% by sputum-smear and NAAT, respectively. Uzo Uwani LGA recorded the highest prevalence of both TB (33.3%) and TB/HIV co-infection (16.7%), but the lowest prevalence of resistant TB. Nsukka LGA had the highest prevalence of resistant TB. CONCLUSION: Enugu North geographical zone, Nigeria, has a high prevalence of both HIV and TB, including resistant TB and there is need to increase monitoring of individuals resident in this region.

SummaryThis study investigated the trends in tuberculosis mortality through time in Switzerland. Information on the decline in mortality before chemotherapies were introduced may be useful in developing countries where drug-resistant tuberculosis is now becoming a major problem. Swiss data were collected from historical records and comparative data were obtained from the literature for England and Wales, New York, Japan, Brazil and Sierra Leone. Logistic curves were fitted to examine the rate of decline before introduction of pharmacotherapies and these show that the decline would have continued without the introduction of chemical therapies, including antibiotics. In Switzerland, England and Wales and New York, the decline had occurred long before the introduction of specific anti-tuberculosis agents. In Brazil and Japan, chemical therapy was co-incident with the decline in tuberculosis mortality rates. Overall, it is suggested that the effective control of tuberculosis can be achieved through a combination of chemical interventions, conservative therapy (rest, good nutrition, ventilation, etc.) as well as public health interventions addressing hygiene, nutrition, reducing exposure to infections and educating the population about tuberculosis.

Committee: Surg. Gen. Robert M. O'Reilly, U.S A., Surg. Gen. P.M. Rixey, U.S.N., Surg. Gen. Walter Wyman, Public Health and Marine Hospital Service. ; Report of a committee appointed by President Roosevelt in accordance with a resolution of the National Association for the study and prevention of tuberculosis. ; 1st issue, 1906. ; Mode of access: Internet.

The present report concerns a case of pulmonary nocardiosis in an immunocompetent host. This patient was diagnosed as having smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis and received supervised antitubercular treatment for 6 months from a government run tuberculosis centre (Directly Observed Therapy, Short-Course (DOTS) centre). At 3 months after completion of treatment, she presented with fever and cough with posterior–anterior (PA) view chest x ray showing a cavitary lesion on left upper zone. She was subsequently diagnosed as having a case of pulmonary nocardiosis and responded to oral cotrimoxazole.

The aim of this research was to conduct a thorough review on the literature of tuberculosis in Canada and the Province of Quebec. To achieve this aim, an exhaustive literature review of tuberculosis in the Province of Quebec was undertaken. Data was collected with the goal of creating an epidemiological and public health evidence base to forecast the spread of tuberculosis. A keyword search strategy was used to find relevant articles from the peer-reviewed literature using the electronic search engine PubMed and a search of other relevant federal and provincial government databases. Twenty-nine peer-reviewed publications and twenty government reports containing information about the incidence or prevalence of tuberculosis in the Province of Quebec were included in the analysis. An analysis of the data revealed that while tuberculosis rates have been decreasing in both Canada and Quebec with an overall incidence below 3 per 100,000 of population in 2007, among immigrants and the Inuit communities in Quebec, the incidence and prevalence of the disease still remains high and reached 18 per 100,000 and 100 per 100,000, respectively in 2007. In general, while tuberculosis does not pose a significant burden to the general population, it does continue to affect certain sub-groups disproportionately, including select immigrants and Inuit communities in Quebec. Efforts to ensure that cost-effective healthcare interventions are delivered in a timely fashion should be pursued to reduce the associated morbidity and mortality of tuberculosis in the Province of Quebec.