Infections increasing in families with tuberculosis patients: Study

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) patients are increasing in the country and most worryingly, family members of MDR TB patients are also developing TB, according to a study of TB patients in the capital.

MDR TB does not respond to at least isoniazid and rifampicin – the two most powerful anti-TB drugs.

Dr Azizur Rahman Sharaque of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital presented his findings on the prevalence of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB among household contacts of MDR TB patients in Dhaka at a programme on Thursday.

The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Alliance for Combating TB in Bangladesh (ACTB) organised the programme.

The researcher interviewed 355 household contacts of 93 MDR-TB patients in Dhaka from November 2020 to October 2021. One active case of TB was detected by screening 178 household contacts of MDR TB patients.

The study said about 10% of family members of tuberculosis patients had TB-like symptoms and subsequently 6.7% were diagnosed with TB.

Bangladesh has 3,300 MDR TB patients. Every day 986 people fall ill with TB, nine of them with MDR TB. As many as 120 people die from TB daily. On average, 1,000 new cases and over 100 deaths take place due to the disease every day in the country.

The research found that combating tuberculosis effectively in Bangladesh requires more attention to screening and follow-up, virtual care and digital health, community awareness, and training of healthcare workers.

On the occasion, chief guest, Health Secretary Dr Md Anwar Hossain Howlader, said the severity of TB has come down a lot due to the advancement of medical science but the rate at which it is spreading is very alarming. When a TB patient stops having medicine regularly, it becomes a bigger problem. Unless its spread is curbed, achieving the SDGs will become difficult.

Miranda Beckman, Acting Office Director, Office of Population, Health and Nutrition, USAID, Bangladesh, said there is a lot of stigma around TB. Research helps raise awareness, detect and treat TB, and reduce mortality, removing the stigma.

"Look at how rapidly Covid-19 vaccine and treatment worked. All the research and new knowledge that came out was the result of the attention directed to Covid-19. We can do that to TB if we can invest that level of funding, interest, and attention to TB," he added.

To prevent the spread of tuberculosis, experts at the programme suggested increasing the rate of rapid detection and regular consumption of drugs.

Three more USAID-funded fellowships on TB were presented at the event.