Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Information

You may be following the story of a man with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (or XDR TB) who was allowed to leave Georgia, fly to Europe, fly back to Canada, and drive back to the U.S. despite his infection. The New York Times has an article this morning describing the series of “near-misses” that allowed this to happen, although a colleague and I were just discussing how a “near” miss would not have allowed him to fly – this was a “hit.” Locally, the Tennessean is reporting on 5 Tennesseans who shared his flight.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently has a website up on this event and the TB strain in question, with informative letters for air travellers and healthcare providers, questions and answers about the investigation, the man’s flight itinerary (for comparison against your own), and press conference transcripts.

The CDC site also has related fact sheets, such as this questions and answer piece, which reminds us how TB is and is not spread, who is most at risk, symptoms, and other concerns.

Related resources – these are largely written in medical language, but seem to be the best resources on XDR TB at present
-World Health Organization – Emergence of XDR-TB
-World Health Organization – Frequently asked questions – XDR-TB
-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
-New England Journal of Medicine – XDR Tuberculosis — Implications for Global Public Health

Related Resources – these are more patient/consumer-oriented resources on TB in general
-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Glossary of Terms Related to TB
-American Lung Association – Tuberculosis (TB) FAQs
-National Library of Medicine – MedlinePlus: Tuberculosis
-FamilyDoctor.org – Treatment of Tuberculosis
-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – TB information for travellers
-ProjectInform – Tuberculosis and HIV Disease
-Lab Tests Online – TB Skin Test