Clipping Board » Disease & Prevention ─ Understanding diseases, prevention is better than cure.
China Times 2007.12.28
Xia Nianci / Kaohsiung Report
The Department of Oral Pathology at Kaohsiung Medical University has discovered a significant increase in cases of tuberculosis bacteria infecting the oral cavity or neck over the past two years. This trend confirms the sharp rise in the number of open tuberculosis infections in the country, warranting government attention. Notably, among the cases recorded by Kaohsiung Medical University, ten cases were concentrated within the last two years, with the elderly and children with weak immune systems being high-risk groups.
Dr. Wang Wencen stated that according to statistics from the Department of Health, there are approximately 8,000 to 10,000 confirmed cases of pulmonary tuberculosis annually in Taiwan over the past five years, with around 6,000 cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Each year, 1,000 to 1,300 people die from tuberculosis, making it the thirteenth leading cause of death in the country.
Statistics from the Department of Oral Pathology at Kaohsiung Medical University show that from 1991 to 2007, the hospital recorded a total of 20 cases of head and neck tuberculosis, with 13 cases involving the oral cavity. All 13 patients had no history of pulmonary tuberculosis and were incidentally diagnosed with the disease through oral lesions.
Among these 13 cases, nine patients were over 50 years old, and one was under 10 years old. Most patients were blue-collar workers with habits of smoking and betel nut chewing, predominantly concentrated in the Sanmin and Xiaogang districts of Kaohsiung City. However, Kaohsiung Medical University emphasized that there is currently no scientific evidence or clinical pathology indicating a geographical correlation with the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. Notably, in recent years, the infection rate of pulmonary tuberculosis in the country has been increasing annually, while the mortality rate has decreased.
Dr. Wang Wencen pointed out that pulmonary tuberculosis is transmitted through droplets. When patients cough or sneeze, they expel droplets containing tuberculosis bacteria, which can infect those around them. Once the bacteria enter the body, they can cause lesions in any organ, such as the lungs, meninges, lymph nodes, bones, oral cavity, intestines, urinary tract, and reproductive organs.
Dr. Cai Mishan from the Department of Thoracic Medicine at Kaohsiung Medical University stated that newly diagnosed open pulmonary tuberculosis patients with positive sputum tests for infectious bacteria can return home to continue medication after being treated in isolation wards and testing negative three times. Although they are not immediately infectious, if they do not complete the six-month medication regimen, there is a risk of recurrence in the future.
Worryingly, due to the increasing number of open pulmonary tuberculosis infections, the limited capacity of isolation wards in major hospitals under the National Health Insurance system often leads to overcrowding. Sometimes, newly diagnosed patients cannot secure beds, and referrals to other hospitals are also hindered. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control has no choice but to allow these patients to take medication at home, turning them into potential time bombs for tuberculosis transmission in public spaces.
Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0501+112007122800092,00. html
China Times 2007.12.28
Compiled by Xia Nianci
According to the Communicable Disease Control Act, tuberculosis is classified as a Category III statutory infectious disease, caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. During the initial infection, 95% of infected individuals do not develop the disease due to their own immunity. However, when immunity declines, there is a potential lifelong risk of reactivation and transmission of the disease. Only 5% of people develop pulmonary or extrapulmonary tuberculosis upon initial infection.
With appropriate anti-tuberculosis drug treatment, tuberculosis can be almost 100% cured; however, without treatment, about half of the patients will die within three years. Clinically, common symptoms in patients include cough, chest pain, weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, and hemoptysis. In terms of incidence, it is higher in males than in females, higher in the elderly than in the young, and higher in lower social classes than in higher social classes.
Taiwanese research reports indicate that family members in close contact with an open (infectious) tuberculosis patient have about a 30% chance of being infected.
The probability of the tuberculosis bacteria reactivating and causing disease in an initially infected individual over their lifetime is about 10% to 20%, with half of these cases occurring within the first five years after infection, and the first year being the most dangerous.
The latest amendments to the penalties under the Communicable Disease Control Act stipulate that individuals with untreated open tuberculosis will be listed by the Centers for Disease Control as subjects for medication tracking and will be restricted from entering or exiting the country. Violators who infect others may face up to three years of imprisonment, detention, or a fine of up to 500,000 NTD.
Relevant laws, based on the constitutional protection of human rights and freedoms, do not grant epidemic prevention agencies the authority to enforce restrictions on the occupational freedom of tuberculosis patients or the location of their treatment, creating blind spots in domestic tuberculosis prevention efforts.
Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0501+112007122800094,00. html
China Times 2007.12.28
Huang Tianru / Taipei Report
Can open tuberculosis patients have symptoms of oral ulcers? Shi Wenyi, spokesperson for the Department of Health's Center for Disease Control, expressed disbelief and even criticized it as "ridiculous."
Shi Wenyi, Deputy Director and spokesperson of the CDC, stated that tuberculosis is a Category III statutory infectious disease, while multiple and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis are Category II statutory infectious diseases. He believes that once confirmed cases are found at the affiliated hospital of Kaohsiung Medical University, they are indeed reported, but he has not heard of any "other" astonishing discoveries at the hospital.
Shi Wenyi does not believe that open pulmonary tuberculosis is related to oral ulcers, nor has he seen any similar reports. He even hinted that if the affiliated hospital of Kaohsiung Medical University truly confirmed that "open tuberculosis patients have the special symptom of oral ulcers, they should be able to win a Nobel Prize!"
He said, based on his medical training and understanding, the main manifestation of tuberculosis is in the respiratory tract, with patients suffering from persistent coughs, and he has never heard of it possibly "combining" with oral ulcer symptoms; therefore, without seeing a medical report, he remains unconvinced.
Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0501+112007122800093,00. html
High Medical Discovery: 13 Tuberculosis Cases Originating from Oral Cavity
Xia Nianci / Kaohsiung Report
The Department of Oral Pathology at Kaohsiung Medical University has discovered a significant increase in cases of tuberculosis bacteria infecting the oral cavity or neck over the past two years. This trend confirms the sharp rise in the number of open tuberculosis infections in the country, warranting government attention. Notably, among the cases recorded by Kaohsiung Medical University, ten cases were concentrated within the last two years, with the elderly and children with weak immune systems being high-risk groups.
Dr. Wang Wencen stated that according to statistics from the Department of Health, there are approximately 8,000 to 10,000 confirmed cases of pulmonary tuberculosis annually in Taiwan over the past five years, with around 6,000 cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Each year, 1,000 to 1,300 people die from tuberculosis, making it the thirteenth leading cause of death in the country.
Statistics from the Department of Oral Pathology at Kaohsiung Medical University show that from 1991 to 2007, the hospital recorded a total of 20 cases of head and neck tuberculosis, with 13 cases involving the oral cavity. All 13 patients had no history of pulmonary tuberculosis and were incidentally diagnosed with the disease through oral lesions.
Among these 13 cases, nine patients were over 50 years old, and one was under 10 years old. Most patients were blue-collar workers with habits of smoking and betel nut chewing, predominantly concentrated in the Sanmin and Xiaogang districts of Kaohsiung City. However, Kaohsiung Medical University emphasized that there is currently no scientific evidence or clinical pathology indicating a geographical correlation with the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. Notably, in recent years, the infection rate of pulmonary tuberculosis in the country has been increasing annually, while the mortality rate has decreased.
Dr. Wang Wencen pointed out that pulmonary tuberculosis is transmitted through droplets. When patients cough or sneeze, they expel droplets containing tuberculosis bacteria, which can infect those around them. Once the bacteria enter the body, they can cause lesions in any organ, such as the lungs, meninges, lymph nodes, bones, oral cavity, intestines, urinary tract, and reproductive organs.
Dr. Cai Mishan from the Department of Thoracic Medicine at Kaohsiung Medical University stated that newly diagnosed open pulmonary tuberculosis patients with positive sputum tests for infectious bacteria can return home to continue medication after being treated in isolation wards and testing negative three times. Although they are not immediately infectious, if they do not complete the six-month medication regimen, there is a risk of recurrence in the future.
Worryingly, due to the increasing number of open pulmonary tuberculosis infections, the limited capacity of isolation wards in major hospitals under the National Health Insurance system often leads to overcrowding. Sometimes, newly diagnosed patients cannot secure beds, and referrals to other hospitals are also hindered. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control has no choice but to allow these patients to take medication at home, turning them into potential time bombs for tuberculosis transmission in public spaces.
Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0501+112007122800092,00. html
30% Infection Rate from Exposure to Open Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Compiled by Xia Nianci
According to the Communicable Disease Control Act, tuberculosis is classified as a Category III statutory infectious disease, caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. During the initial infection, 95% of infected individuals do not develop the disease due to their own immunity. However, when immunity declines, there is a potential lifelong risk of reactivation and transmission of the disease. Only 5% of people develop pulmonary or extrapulmonary tuberculosis upon initial infection.
With appropriate anti-tuberculosis drug treatment, tuberculosis can be almost 100% cured; however, without treatment, about half of the patients will die within three years. Clinically, common symptoms in patients include cough, chest pain, weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, and hemoptysis. In terms of incidence, it is higher in males than in females, higher in the elderly than in the young, and higher in lower social classes than in higher social classes.
Taiwanese research reports indicate that family members in close contact with an open (infectious) tuberculosis patient have about a 30% chance of being infected.
The probability of the tuberculosis bacteria reactivating and causing disease in an initially infected individual over their lifetime is about 10% to 20%, with half of these cases occurring within the first five years after infection, and the first year being the most dangerous.
The latest amendments to the penalties under the Communicable Disease Control Act stipulate that individuals with untreated open tuberculosis will be listed by the Centers for Disease Control as subjects for medication tracking and will be restricted from entering or exiting the country. Violators who infect others may face up to three years of imprisonment, detention, or a fine of up to 500,000 NTD.
Relevant laws, based on the constitutional protection of human rights and freedoms, do not grant epidemic prevention agencies the authority to enforce restrictions on the occupational freedom of tuberculosis patients or the location of their treatment, creating blind spots in domestic tuberculosis prevention efforts.
Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0501+112007122800094,00. html
Tuberculosis Causes Oral Ulcers: Health Agency Calls It Outrageous
Huang Tianru / Taipei Report
Can open tuberculosis patients have symptoms of oral ulcers? Shi Wenyi, spokesperson for the Department of Health's Center for Disease Control, expressed disbelief and even criticized it as "ridiculous."
Shi Wenyi, Deputy Director and spokesperson of the CDC, stated that tuberculosis is a Category III statutory infectious disease, while multiple and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis are Category II statutory infectious diseases. He believes that once confirmed cases are found at the affiliated hospital of Kaohsiung Medical University, they are indeed reported, but he has not heard of any "other" astonishing discoveries at the hospital.
Shi Wenyi does not believe that open pulmonary tuberculosis is related to oral ulcers, nor has he seen any similar reports. He even hinted that if the affiliated hospital of Kaohsiung Medical University truly confirmed that "open tuberculosis patients have the special symptom of oral ulcers, they should be able to win a Nobel Prize!"
He said, based on his medical training and understanding, the main manifestation of tuberculosis is in the respiratory tract, with patients suffering from persistent coughs, and he has never heard of it possibly "combining" with oral ulcer symptoms; therefore, without seeing a medical report, he remains unconvinced.
Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0501+112007122800093,00. html