Thailand Ranked By WHO In Top 22 High-Burden Countries For Tuberculosis (TB)

[webfact]

Thailand ranked by WHO as one in top 22 high-burden countries for TB

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Thailand is ranked as one in 22 of the World Health Organization high-burden countries for tuberculosis (TB), with 120,000 persons reported with TB infection each year.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health MD Paichit Warachit cited that WHO ranked Thailand as one of the top 22 highest TB burden countries with 120,000 TB patients, 16% of those were also HIV infected. He elaborated that 44,000 of all patients were at contagious period and there were 13,000 deaths each year.

Problems for TB control derived from the spread of HIV and the number of patients getting full course treatment is only 83%, below WHO minimum rate of 85%, including the increase of TB infected alien workers entering the country.

The Public Health Ministry has a policy to involve local administration and other affiliated hospitals in TB control. Using different pills for the treatment in both adults and children is another direction, while WHO has supported liquid drugs, which are not produced in Thailand,, worth three million THB, for the use in children.

The Government will cooperate with other countries for the research and development of medicine, vaccine and new technology, aiming to heighten potential of TB prevention. Within the past two year the Ministry has urged all provinces to survey people at risk of TB, such as the groups of HIV patients, inmates, those with diabetes and other chronic diseases. TB infected patients thus have been registered at almost 90% at present. With a comprehensive data and control program, health authorities hope to get Thailand off the list of high TB burden countries in the near future.

-- NNT 2010-07-08

[Jimi007]

That's great news. Come to Thailand and catch your choice of TB, Cholera or Dengue. I'm not trying to be funny. I have Chikugunya, another mosqutio bourn virus I caught last year, and I know one guy (English) that has TB and another guy (Swedish) that has Dengue. All caught in Phuket.

[kuffki]

Amazing Thailand????????? NO WAY:rolleyes:

[MikeyIdea]

This is not news at all, Thailand has ben pretty high on TB for many years. The 22 number in the world is hardly totally true though, there are many poor countries in the world where no reliable statistics exist. Funnily enough, many of them are better than Thailand, if you believe that.

[crazyswede]

I have Chikugunya, another mosqutio bourn virus I caught last year, and I know one guy (English) that has TB and another guy (Swedish) that has Dengue. All caught in Phuket.

I was convinsed never to return to Phuket even before this thread! Say no more .. 555

[Valdezugar]

<br>The 22 number in the world is hardly totally true though, there are many poor countries in the world where no reliable statistics exist. Funnily enough, many of them are better than Thailand, if you believe that.<br>

<div><br></div><div>Quite true that. You can also catch TB in transit anywhere; just like influenza or cyroza. You never know whose traveling with you and what they've got. <br><br><br>

</div>

[kuffki]

<br>The 22 number in the world is hardly totally true though, there are many poor countries in the world where no reliable statistics exist. Funnily enough, many of them are better than Thailand, if you believe that.<br>

<div><br></div><div>Quite true that. You can also catch TB in transit anywhere; just like influenza or cyroza. You never know whose traveling with you and what they've got. <br><br><br>

</div>

In that case, better you make a sterile bubble in your room and lock yourself in.

Can you tell me how many cases of Tuberculosis are reported in Australia or UK or USA or Germany or France or Sweden or ........ any other country (aside from Africa and Asia)

[Jimi007]

I have Chikugunya, another mosqutio bourn virus I caught last year, and I know one guy (English) that has TB and another guy (Swedish) that has Dengue. All caught in Phuket.

I was convinsed never to return to Phuket even before this thread! Say no more .. 555

LOL! I'll miss you!

The 22 number in the world is hardly totally true though, there are many poor countries in the world where no reliable statistics exist. Funnily enough, many of them are better than Thailand, if you believe that. /quote] Quite true that. You can also catch TB in transit anywhere; just like influenza or cyroza. You never know whose traveling with you and what they've got.

I agree. You can catch TB from a person coughing or sneezing next to you. But Dengue and Chikungunya are both spread by the Andes Mosquito. I haven't heard of any cases of Cholera around this area, it was up in northern Thailand. And for that matter Dengue and Chikungunya are widespread across the entire region of Asia. See link: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov...s/thailand.aspx

Whoops: Typo

Edited July 8, 2010 by Jimi007

[MrFrank]

<br>The 22 number in the world is hardly totally true though, there are many poor countries in the world where no reliable statistics exist. Funnily enough, many of them are better than Thailand, if you believe that.<br>

<div><br></div><div>Quite true that. You can also catch TB in transit anywhere; just like influenza or cyroza. You never know whose traveling with you and what they've got. <br><br><br>

</div>

In that case, better you make a sterile bubble in your room and lock yourself in.

Can you tell me how many cases of Tuberculosis are reported in Australia or UK or USA or Germany or France or Sweden or ........ any other country (aside from Africa and Asia)

The UK, USA and Australia are all in the range of 0 to 24 new cases of TB reported per 100,000 population. Thailand appears to be transitioning into the "highest burden" group which is greater than 300 new cases per 100,000 population. Which means that it has caught up with Myanmar and Cambodia and has overtaken Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam.

Countries for which no reliable estimates exist are entirely centred around North Africa, middle East and Central Europe.

(Source: WHO)

[geriatrickid]

All about perspective and context. In parts of Canada and Eastern Europe, TB has a significantly greater incidence than in Thailand. However, most people are not going to vacation in northern Manitoba on an aboriginal reserve or journey to Romania to frolic in a sewage ditch. Phuket markets itself as a safe family destination, TB is one of the hidden joys of Phuket just like the opportunity to swim with the feces in Patong.

Cynicism aside, the TB caseload is also influenced by the prevalence of HIV. Thailand has a large reservoir of subjects with suppressed immune systems. As such, they are more likely to contract communicable and infectious diseases. This is why HIV is a threat to public health in Thailand. Personally, I am really worried by the spread of insect borne illness this year. It's one nasty spike.

Edited July 8, 2010 by geriatrickid

[asiawatcher]

It always seems that WHO, Amnesty and all the other do-gooder groups love to stick their two cents worth into Thailand. Human Rights, United Nations and all the other self appointed populace police simply looking for ways to use their 'research' results as a reason to gain more money and hand outs to oil their already well oiled bunch of pencil necks. Oh well, considering there are many natural cures for all as mentioned you would think if the 'plague' of diseases have affected so many in places such as Phuket, TAT would foot the bill to sort it out. The wheel keeps turning.

[agudbuk]

I am surprised that there is still a problem with TB in Thailand, Every Thai I have seen with bare shoulders has shown the scars from TB inoculations.

[Bjorn]

Anyone out there knowing id there is any vaccin for TB?

[MikeyIdea]

That's great news. Come to Thailand and catch your choice of TB, Cholera or Dengue. I'm not trying to be funny. I have Chikugunya, another mosqutio bourn virus I caught last year, and I know one guy (English) that has TB and another guy (Swedish) that has Dengue. All caught in Phuket.

And I got malaria on Koh Tao back in '94. That was because I'd forgotten my mosquito repellant in the bungalow and was too lazy to drive back and fetch it. I sat around a bonfire on Freedom beach all evening without protection. That makes it my fault, not Thailands fault

[jlaaway]

I am surprised that there is still a problem with TB in Thailand, Every Thai I have seen with bare shoulders has shown the scars from TB inoculations.

Are you sure you are not confusing those scars with Smallpox inoculations? Just wondering...

[Jimi007]

That's great news. Come to Thailand and catch your choice of TB, Cholera or Dengue. I'm not trying to be funny. I have Chikugunya, another mosqutio bourn virus I caught last year, and I know one guy (English) that has TB and another guy (Swedish) that has Dengue. All caught in Phuket.

And I got malaria on Koh Tao back in '94. That was because I'd forgotten my mosquito repellant in the bungalow and was too lazy to drive back and fetch it. I sat around a bonfire on Freedom beach all evening without protection. That makes it my fault, not Thailands fault

I guess one could look at it from that viewpoint. It was my choice to come and live in Thailand, so it's my fault for catching a disease that is rampant here. I still get bit by mosquitos even with repellant on. And there is no vaccine or cure for Chikungunya or Dengue, but there is some research being done with a variation of the Yellow Fever vaccine for Dengue. But I doubt Thailand is spending any money on this research or trying to develop a vaccine of their own. Taking Doxicycline may prevent Malaria at least. But the eradication of mosquitos or at least trying to reduce their population would help... Reducing breeding grounds(stagnant water), spraying, and introducing fish that eat mosquito larvae, might make these diseases less rampant.

[Dakhar]

It always seems that WHO, Amnesty and all the other do-gooder groups love to stick their two cents worth into Thailand. Human Rights, United Nations and all the other self appointed populace police simply looking for ways to use their 'research' results as a reason to gain more money and hand outs to oil their already well oiled bunch of pencil necks. Oh well, considering there are many natural cures for all as mentioned you would think if the 'plague' of diseases have affected so many in places such as Phuket, TAT would foot the bill to sort it out. The wheel keeps turning.

I have TB, and to the best of knowledge I picked it up over here in Thailand. That siad, the TB is in a dormant state, and it is for 90% of all those that carry it. Its the 10% folks that are the unlucky folks....

The only natural cure that I am aware of for active TB is death.

[walterego]

Yes there is a TB Vaccine. It is effectivly given to infants. As was stated earlier many others come into contact with the Virus and develop positive anti bodies. A simple blood test will show if you have been imunized or have antibodys present and are therefore immune (due to imunization or prior contact with the virus) to TB.

Infection with TB and the fact that you may be a dormant carrier will stop or at least hinder entry to many countrys (in particular Australia). In such cases you may need to provide a lung xray or such thing.

But hey why do people believe what others type on here?

Please wiki TB. or read up on it on an endorsed Medical website.

[Eazy-Going]

When I was at school in the UK, all children had their TB innoculation at around the age of 11/12 years old and as far as I am aware this is still the case.

[Jimi007]

Sounds like I should get a TB vaccine. Or get tested yet again... At least there is one and I don't know that I've ever had one. Since the Center for Disease Control says: This vaccine is not widely used in the United States, but it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. See link: http://www.cdc.gov/t...nes/default.htm

Edited July 9, 2010 by Jimi007