New study to look into root cause of TB in Qatar

A study which will look into the root cause of tuberculosis among Qataris and long-time residents will soon commence in Qatar, Gulf Times has learnt.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on the level of TB infections in Qatar and the means of curtailing the disease, the co-ordinator of the national TB programme, Dr Abdullatif al-Khal said the study would hopefully trace the epidemiology of TB among Qataris and residents, how it is being transmitted and ways of uprooting the cause.
“We are at the planning stage of the research and no further information is available yet, but we hope to use the study to get to the root cause of TB infections in the country, especially among labourers and housemaids,” he said.
However, the doctor noted that even though tuberculosis is highly controllable and costs less to treat, the disease is still spreading fast and wide with around 100,000 deaths per year worldwide.
“The spread of TB hinges on many reasons such as poverty, poor hygiene, over-crowding, lack of political and public interest, lack of commitment and poor nutrition, especially among the poor, as well as lack of information as high risk group, who should benefit from TB control messages, are either difficult to reach or there is language barrier,” observed the doctor.
Dr Al-Khal, who is also the head of the TB Unit at Rumailah Hospital, stressed that TB is a highly communicable disease because it is air-borne. It can spread through persistence coughs for weeks and even months and could be transmitted to others before diagnosis.
“Last year, we screened about 1,853 people we believed had come in contact with TB patients before diagnosis and of this number, 400 were found with the bacteria and preventive treatment was quickly administered to them,” he disclosed.
He lamented that the worst part was the increase in cases of multiple drug resistance TB bacteria accounting for 5% of the total burden on healthcare budget, while noting that the overall incidence of TB in Qatar’s population is 35 per 100,000.
“Our intention is to bring the incidence to the lowest level and we have recorded success among Qataris and stable residents, while the most challenging part still remains with the labourers coming into the country in droves,” he said.
“The multiple drug resistant TB is very expensive and difficult to treat and the death rate is higher than in normal active TB. Also another fraction of this particular type of TB called extensively or extremely multi-drug resistance TB was found among labourers for the first time in Qatar last year,” he said.
The doctor said that in 2008, out of a total 567 cases of active TB including five multi drug resistance, three labourers found with extensively multi drug resistance had since being repatriated to avoid spreading the bacteria to others, because it has ‘no cure’ at present.
He said that of the total number of cases recorded last year only 4% or 24 cases were Qataris, while in 2007, out of 399 TB cases, 17 were Qataris, multi-drug resistance only six cases while majority of cases were found among Southeast Asian population.
However, the official maintained that the policy of the health ministry to deport newcomers found with TB does not affect residents diagnosed with the disease.
“People contract both fractions of TB if they do not cure themselves totally of the disease at first contact,” he said.

Original Article from: Gulf Times