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Alaska: Highest Rates of Tuberculosis in U.S.The infectious disease is highly contagious and if untreated, can be deadly.Related Content
Rates of tuberculosis in Alaska are among the highest in the United States, and perhaps equally alarming is that most people infected with the disease don't even know they have it.
Plain and simple: leaving the disease untreated could result in death. TB is highly contagious and public health officials are trying to educate Alaskans with the hope that they will recognize the symptoms before exposing the disease to others. “TB is a very big problem in Alaska,” said Dr. Michael Cooper, head of the State of Alaska’s Infectious Disease program. “Untreated, it has a very high mortality rate. A lot of those people will succumb to that disease. If the TB disease grows in their lungs, they could be spreading it out through simply coughing or sneezing,” said Wendy Walters, program manager for Disease Prevention and Control for the Municipality of Anchorage. Cooper said there are people walking around Alaska with latent tuberculosis who are completely unaware that they have it. Tuberculosis is 100 percent treatable. The Municipality of Anchorage even provides the necessary drugs free of charge, including visits, if someone is diagnosed with TB. The treatment of tuberculosis is a lengthy process that can take up to two years to complete. “To treat one straightforward case of active TB disease, it requires over 50 visits for medication administration over the course of six months,” said Cooper. “We try to get in and hit it hard, so to speak, with drug therapy [and] with monitoring,” Walters explained. The battle to control TB is challenging both city and state officials who are endeavoring to educate Alaskans. Part of the effort includes conducting TB screenings. “Every sweep, it seems, whether it’s two different villages or the city of Anchorage, we will frequently turn up people,” said Cooper. “We're looking at symptoms that have hung around for two, maybe three weeks or even longer and there is no other reasonable explanation for them,” said Walters. It’s an aggressive tactic that is so far proving to be effective, providing that people are willing to cooperate. “Treatment is not fun...it’s not easy. It takes a very long time but it’s very doable,” said Cooper. While the disease affects both young and old and those of all races, Alaska Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders are at a higher risk of being infected because of the isolated areas they may come from like a village or foreign country that doesn't have medications to treat it. |
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Anonymous said on Tuesday, Nov 8 at 9:11 PM
The Public Health officials should be screening with QuantiFERON. The TST is not a reliable screen and certainly not specific for LTBI. Wake up Public Health if you are serious about identifying TB and use a screen that gets it right the first time.
76644668akrock said on Saturday, Aug 27 at 8:27 AM
TB is highly contagious and public health officials are "trying to educate Alaskans with the hope that they will recognize the symptoms" before exposing the disease to others. If they are trying to educate us, how come they didn't print the symptoms in the story. Seems it would have been appropriate.
73002609jjj said on Friday, Aug 26 at 1:04 PM
How will the MEDICAL TRYRANNY we have in this country make money if they CURE you? They have NO desire to see you HEALTHY!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE! The vaccines they push are DEADLY!!! Don't believe me, LOOK it up yourself. Stop being SHEEP!!!! WAKE UP!!
72971807alh said on Wednesday, Aug 24 at 1:22 PM
One of the highest TB populations in Alaska is actualy in the prison system, not in summer workers....
72861069DK said on Wednesday, Aug 24 at 12:31 PM
why we are the highest for TB it's becouse of the cannery workers that come from over seas the state should demand that they get tested before coming to Alasks
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