The team of expert doctors sent by the Central government for inspection in the city, after 12 cases of Total Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (TDR-TB) were detected, said on Wednesday that the detected strain of TB was more than Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) TB.
“But it cannot be called TDR. It is extra-XDR TB,” S.K. Jindal, member of the team, told journalists here, while adding that there was no need to press the panic button. The patients would not be kept in isolation.
The team said seven patients, who were reported to be suffering from TDR-TB, were responding to treatment. Of the 12 patients reported by Hinduja Hospital, three died. Of the remaining patients, two were being traced, thus bringing the number to seven. The government J.J. Hospital also reported two cases, of which one died and the other is being traced.
“The key issue is that the transmission rates are very low. The seven patients identified are stable and responding to the treatment,” Jayant Kumar Banthia, Additional Chief Secretary, Public Health Department, said.
“Four of the seven are negative,” he said. When asked what it meant, Suresh Gupta, Director of Health Services, explained that all the seven definitely suffered from TB. “The second sputum test of the four patients is negative,” he said, explaining that the bacilli found in the first sputum test were not observed in the second sputum test. “This means that they are showing signs of improvement,” he said.
“Clinical tests may not always be right in this respect. The laboratory tests may say the person is not responding to these drugs, but the person shows improvement when he continuously keeps on taking those drugs,” Dr. Gupta explained.
Though detailed tests were yet to be done on the patients, these conclusions were declared after the second sputum test. “Sputum smear was tested,” Dr Gupta said.
The members of the Central team said the present phenomenon was a continuation of the XDR phenomenon. “There is no such situation of TDR [Total Drug Resistance]. It is not accepted anywhere internationally, neither does the World Health Organisation say that. One or the other drug will work,” Ashok Kumar, who led the Central team of expert doctors, said.
The team discarded the need to isolate the affected patients. “The chances of transmission are relatively much less than in other infections. Once treatment is given, the chances of transmission reduce even further. Even if the transmission happens, it may not be at the same level,” he said.
“It is advised that the public should take precautions,” Mr. Banthia said.
The civic administration announced various measures for strengthening the mechanism to fight TB, including setting up accredited laboratories, enhancing the present hospital capacity and door-to-door approach.
The expert team concluded the two-day visit on Wednesday after holding brain-storming sessions with the State government and civic administration, visiting hospitals and talking to doctors.
