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Friday, December 9, 2011

UK : Tuberculosis cases double

Via Lancashire Evening Post :

" A disease which once killed millions of people is on the rise in Preston with numbers of new cases almost doubling since two years ago.

Tuberculosis has struck 44 people in Preston so far this year compared to 23 cases in the whole of 2009 and 33 cases in 2010.

Health experts say that TB is a very treatable illness and are urging people displaying symptoms to seek medical help.

Dr Steve Gee, consultant in communicable disease control at Cumbria and Lancashire Health Protection Agency, said: “The majority of cases of TB in the Preston area affect families who come from high risk countries, mainly the Indian subcontinent.

“TB is a very treatable disease and people who are concerned that they might have it should come forward for treatment. However, some people do not seek medical advice for a number of reasons.
“One of the reasons is because some people still believe there is a stigma associated with TB.

“Another reason is that because some of the symptoms of TB include coughing up blood and losing weight, some people fear it is cancer and bury their head in the sand because they are afraid of what they might find out.

“We have had a number of cases of TB where people have died because they did not seek help, but TB is so treatable and people should not be dying of it in this day and age."

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