Lately, in terms of news and media presence concerning disease, we have been informed on the Ebola virus in West Africa. Rightfully so as it was an all out epidemic on the continent due to lack of medical treatment and sanitary living arrangements. For the most part Africa is not leading any part of the world in development, or on its way to becoming a modern like that of North America and Europe. There is however a contagious disease that is rather quietly it seems spreading through Europe. That is Tuberculosis, or TB which is infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. It can be spread via tiny droplets in a cough or sneeze. Ebola can also be spread through this method. DailyMail.com reported that as many as 1,000 people a day contract TB in Europe. Treatment of this potentially deadly disease requires months of antibiotic treatment. This along with its drug adapting ability is making it difficult to eradicate. Estimates say that to get the disease in control (1 out of every million in a population) by the year 2050, it would have to cut down cases twice as fast. The World Health Organization has classified the drug resistance strains of TB to be "crisis level". This seems to be the modern world's "Ebola", without the world media coverage. This isn't just in Europe either, in Kansas 27 high school students tested positive for tuberculosis. They were said to be non-contagious and will have to undergo the several months of medication in order to prevent worsening of the disease. As a united world we have came along way in medicine and disease control, but everyday we are reminded that nature is ever changing creating a long way to go in medical advancement.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-2998836/Tuberculosis-superbug-strains-ravaging-Europe-WHO-warns.html
Alex Rogers, 4:50 pm, 3/20/15
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