TB or not TB....

Lampman · 23-10-2004, 11:55

I read today the disturbing news that levels of TB infection in the U.K. are begining to escalate.
An estimated 7,200 cases per year are occurring;of these 400 will die of the disease.
In every other western European nation the figures are falling!
Most disturbing is the news that a super strain of the disease has been identified,which is impervious to conventional medicines.To treat this strain cost £100,000 per patient.
Should we worry;well given the fact that Blackburn is a hotspot for the disease.Yes we should.
Now taking the PC hat off.
A Government think tank has ruled it morally wrong to carry out compulsory X rays and other test on new immigrants to this country.
This was just the way that the USA reversed their rising disease figures.
In London alone seven new cases per day are being found,given that the symptoms can lie undetected for months,how many more people are now infected?
Is it time for a public debate on this issue,before we once again start to see the isolation wards re apppearing.
Don't hold your breath(do if infected).

Acrylic-bob · 23-10-2004, 12:06

I would like to see the reasoning behind the moral argument.

Sadly though, compulsory health screening, would only cover immigrants who come here legally, what about the rest? And what about the constant traffic to and from areas of the world where the disease is endemic?

Sparkologist · 23-10-2004, 12:17

Lettie will confirm that all Asian babies born at Queens Park Hospital are immunised against TB at birth. Simply because they are considered to be at risk, going home to an enviroment where they have a much greater chance of coming into contact with family friends and relatives who have come from the Sub-continent and who are carriers of the disease.

lettie · 23-10-2004, 15:38

That is indeed correct, however TB is not the most expensive or life threatening worry we have in this country. HIV has risen once again in the last 12 months. Many immigrants come to this country from predominantly Africa who are infected. If you look in hints/tips/advice section Lampman you will see last years figures and the surrounding debate in a thread called alarming health stats. I can confirm that all the STI's have once again risen in numbers since last year, but the total figures are not yet in. The main spread of HIV in this country is via heterosexual (yes, heterosexual) sex!!!!! The surveillance unit based at Liverpool John Moores University publishes our local figures. The number of new cases reported between Jan - Dec 2003 in Hyndburn and Ribble Valley was 5 new cases for the year, 4 of these were women. Burnley and pendle had 4 cases (all men) Blackburn and Darwen had 10 cases (3 women). The total number of people seeking treatment in Hyndburn and RV is 26 on these records 16 men and 10 women. Burnley has a total of 36 cases, Blackburn has 38. These numbers are rising every year. Frightening isn't it.

Lampman · 23-10-2004, 16:04

Thanks Lettie for those facts,yes getting scary.One thought, to get HIV requires an active(mostly) participation,whereas I can be infected with TB by merely being in close proximity to the carrier.
To me that is far more frightening!Plus all ages are exposed to the TB threat not just the social ravers amongst us.

WillowTheWhisp · 23-10-2004, 16:09

Very worrying.

I can see Lampman's point of view about immunisation against TB, but also the fact that illegal immigrants will escape. As for travellers to and from those areas where the disease is rife, shouldn't it be necessary for them to be immunised and prove it when going on holiday to these places?

As for what to do about HIV and the illegal immigrants I'm at a loss.

lettie · 23-10-2004, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lampman

Plus all ages are exposed to the TB threat not just the social ravers amongst us.

A common misconception about HIV is that you need to be a social raver. Mother to baby transmissions are on the up. Newborn babies with a disease with no cure and no immunisation. I know people who have caught this disease from their first sexual partner, a fact which I find very sad. TB is curable and there is an immunisation. I agree that all immigrants should be immunised against TB, but I also think that all children should be immunised against measles, which is also on the increase and kills.
Roughly 4.000 people per year also die of influenza (mainly elderly) The only advice I could give to people is that if there is a tried, tested and reliable vaccine for a serious illness, make sure you and yours have had it.

Mick · 23-10-2004, 16:25

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH LETTIE please listen to what she says as she knows what is what
THANKYOU LETTIE

Lampman · 23-10-2004, 19:14

Yes Lettie,I wasn't meaning to be flippant,I know HIV is an increasing problem, through
maternal infection.
My point is TB, is as you say curable;but we lack the political will to impose restrictive screening on all immigrants and visitors from targetted lands.
The Asian communities especially have long visits to infected lands and return with possible infection.
Someday we will wake up and start a properly run screening process.
Let's hope it's not too late.

lettie · 23-10-2004, 19:27

Some of these screening tests have actually been discussed in Parliament, I think I posted it in the health stats thread a while back. If memory serves me correctly it was organisations such as WHO or UNICEF who stepped in and said that it wasn't PC and was discriminatory to make immigrants have a health check, despite the fact that a hell of a lot of other countries do it. USA, Russia, Australia and UAE (plus loads more) Being the typical British (everybody welcome despite the fact that you will cost us millions in healthcare each year) namby pamby government, at the first sign of being un-PC the idea was vetoed..

I get fed up with seeing people suffering from diseases which are entirely preventable either by immunisation or common sense. It is especially sad to have to see children with these dreadful infections and to know that it could have been prevented. I agree completely with pre-immigration screening, no matter which country you've come from.

Acrylic-bob · 24-10-2004, 07:33

It seems that the government will not act to contain this problem until it has reached such proportions that they are compelled to act. Whereupon It will be the usual 'too little, too late' solution. Which, sadly, condemns a great many people to premature death or a lifetime of ill health and reduced quality of life simply because the government cannot bear the thought of causing offence to a group of individuals who have no loyalty to this country, care little for it's institutions and traditions and are only here for a free ride.

WillowTheWhisp · 24-10-2004, 08:42

It seems odd that it can be considered non PC when it will actually benefit people. As Lettie said earlier about certain babies being immunised because they are more likely to come into contact with a certain disease. Surely it makes sense from the point of view of the people being screened too that if they have somehting they can then be treated for it rather than just ignored?

yerself · 24-10-2004, 16:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkologist

Lettie will confirm that all Asian babies born at Queens Park Hospital are immunised against TB at birth.

I don't want to nit-pick or appear politically incorrect but aren't all babies born at QPH British?

WillowTheWhisp · 24-10-2004, 16:40

Ignore this post. The thread has just gone weird on me.

lettie · 24-10-2004, 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by yerself

I don't want to nit-pick or appear politically incorrect but aren't all babies born at QPH British?

Actually no. Just because somebody is born in this country it does not automatically guarantee British nationality or a British passport. I'm fairly sure that the Kosovan refugees who came to Blackburn a few years ago and had their babies in QPH still remained Kosovan (the babies that is). They were all immunised against TB at birth though.