TB - The Ticking Time Bomb

Overview

India is the TB capital of the world. Every year, a staggering 18 lakh people contract the disease, of which 8 lakh are infectious and about 3.7 lakh people die annually. It is a shame that this disease has not been fought on a war footing. Previously known as a poor man's disease, TB affects all classes of society today with its deadlier form-multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB). This bacteria has become resistant to the first line drugs-especially Rifampicin and Isoniazid-which can otherwise cure the disease in six months. MDR TB is a monster; it takes more than two ...