Doc Quells Fears of TB Cases

By HUMPHREYS, Lyn

CONCERNS of a tuberculosis outbreak in Taranaki have been allayed by the region’s Medical Officer of Health, Richard Hoskins.

An average of four cases of TB — a notifiable disease — were reported in Taranaki each year.

In the latest monthly surveillance report by ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research), there were 18 cases reported in New Zealand for the 12 months to January. Of those, 3.9 were in Taranaki.

Dr Hoskins said another case was reported in Taranaki last week.

Such numbers could be expected for a population of 100,000, the number of people living in Taranaki.

“But we haven’t got an outbreak,” Dr Hoskins said.

Any report of TB was time consuming, because everyone, including workmates of infected people, were investigated, he said.

“They get six months’ treatment and a combination of drugs that need monitoring.”

If there was difficulty in remembering to have the drugs, the public health nurse visited daily to observe the patient taking them.

If the full course of drugs was not taken, then the patient could get multi- drug resistant (MDR) TB — and that could be a major concern, he said.

(c) 2007 Daily News; New Plymouth, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.