Prompt treatment of tuberculosis is important because the infectious disease can be fatal.
Source: dpa
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a new high in cases of tuberculosis. In 2023, around 8.2 million people would be newly diagnosed with tuberculosis, the WHO announced at the presentation of its annual report in Washington.
This is a significant increase compared to the 7.5 million new cases in 2022 and marks the highest number since global tuberculosis surveillance began by the WHO in 1995. Tuberculosis was once again the most common cause of death from infectious diseases in 2023 and had Covid -19 exceeded.
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The report shows that progress in the global fight against the infectious disease has been uneven and that there is significant underfunding, said the WHO. While the number of deaths related to tuberculosis fell from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million in 2023, the total number of people affected increased to an estimated 10.8 million in 2023.
According to estimates, a quarter to a third of all people worldwide carry the tuberculosis pathogen. For most people, the immune system is strong enough to fight off illness. Undernutrition or malnutrition, extreme stress such as wars or weakening due to other diseases make it easy for the tuberculosis bacteria.
The lungs are usually affected by an illness. Transmission occurs through droplet infection. Symptoms include weakness, night sweats, weight loss and coughing, also with bloody sputum. Treatment involves a mix of antibiotics that is taken over a period of months.
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Quelle: epd
