Databases a powerful weapon in fight to eradicate TB – Winnipeg Free Press
Feb 14, 2019
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 global causes of death. It is caused by bacteria that first settle in the lungs and spread through the air and is passed on when a person with an active infection coughs or sneezes. People can also pass on TB when they are not themselves sick, if they have a “sleeping” or “latent” infection.
Treatments have been available since the 1940s and TB can be treated before an infected person feels symptoms. However, TB continues to spread in Canada and globally.
It is extremely important that people with active and latent TB infections receive treatment to eliminate the bacteria. The World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy aims to drastically reduce TB deaths and new cases by the year 2035. It identifies local databases as essential for meeting this goal.
