In 2003, Rick and Francene adopted a 13-month-old boy from Russia. After
returning to United States, they learned their child had tuberculosis. The
doctor had ordered a TB skin test along with a chest x-ray. The results of the
x-ray confirmed that their child had developed latent form of TB. Now the next
step was treatment, which included months of heavy dosage of drugs and
injections. After several months of treatment and care, their child is now
healthy and happy (“TB personal stories,” 2013).
Rick and Francene’s story is an
example of one of the many childhood TB cases seen annually. The only
difference is that Rick and Francene are living in a developed country and they
have access to the help and resources needed to cure their child, but
unfortunately, many others living around the world do not enjoy these
privileges. It is also true that tuberculosis cases have declined sharply over
the past few years in the Unites States, but it still remains a global issue
worldwide. TB is one of the leading causes of global mortality in children and
World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2012 up to 74,000 children
died from TB and half a million new cases are brought annually (“Childhood
tuberculosis,” 2012).
The first and utmost important aspect is to realize that childhood
tuberculosis is different from adult tuberculosis. We have seen major
advancements regarding diagnosis and treatment of TB in adults, but a very
common misconception is that since this disease transfers from adults to
children, the same diagnostic tools and treatments would be enough to cure
children too. Whereas in reality, children do not respond to diagnostic methods
the same way adults do.
Another major issue is that in many developing countries, the drugs
that are being used to cure TB were discovered decades ago. There have not been
many advances in trying to make a better, more effective drug. Over the years,
drug-resistant strands of bacterium have evolved making most of the preventive
drugs against tuberculosis ineffective.
The question that arises now is that how can we help prevent tuberculosis in
children, and make sure that no other child dies of this infectious disease.
The answer is that we have to take appropriate actions and precautions.
· Get
TB vaccinations. Every child should get BCG vaccine developed against
severe type of TB in children, called military TB.
· Develop
new and better diagnostic tools. Improved tools can ensure that
tuberculosis bacteria are detected right away so that treatment can be started.
· Customized
drugs for children. It is important that the drugs and vaccines that are
being synthesized are customized for children specifically so they can receive
proper dosage
· Children
at risk should be tested. If there are children in close proximity to
someone who has an active TB, they should be tested for presence of the
bacterium.
If global surveillance of
childhood tuberculosis is improved and proper preventive measures are
implemented then TB deaths in children can be prevented in the future.
References
"Childhood Tuberculosis
Neglected, despite Available Remedies." WHO. N.p., 21 Mar.
2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.
“TB Personal Stories.” Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.
You did a good job considering the 9 signs of effective blogging and applied concepts such as opening with a story that was related to your interesting title. When you are living in America it's very easy to turn a blind eye to diseases such as tuberculosis because of our ability to prevent and treat the disease. Your article does a good job emphasizing that it is wrong to assume that TB is no longer harmful just because we live in a nation that doesn't. My only thing is because people like me turn such a blind eye to diseases I wish you would have explained what exactly tuberculosis is and how is tuberculosis different between an adult and a child.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Bae
You picked a very important topic, even though it may not be relevant in United States since there are hardly any cases here. Nevertheless, as you mentioned in your post, it is a huge problem in developing countries. I liked how you stressed on better diagnostics because many people lose their lives due to incorrect diagnosis for the type of TB they actually have. As Jennifer suggested, I wanted to know more about the differences between childhood and adult TB as well. Until now, I wasn’t even aware that childhood TB was any different from adult TB. It certainly indicates that we need more awareness about this disease, and better diagnosis and therapeutics because drug-resistance TB is also becoming a huge problem.
ReplyDeleteYour topic is a very interesting and important topic that affects the world today. The fact that people in the US are able to get sufficient treatment does not mean that we need to turn our backs on the rest of the world. I believe every effort can count towards developing new and improved medicines to fight off even those TB bacteria that have become resistant to the today's treatment plans. As my peers have mentioned, a bit more factual evidence explaining the difference between adult and childhood TB would not hurt but overall, you got yourself a solid, interesting topic.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that instantly stuck out to me was the layout. I felt like it was too plain, almost like I was just reading a word document. Other than that I enjoyed the content. As Jennifer said above, I would maybe explain what TB is just to give people an idea and some good background information on it. More specifically, what the differences are, just so I could get an idea and maybe see what it is that makes them different. I did like your call to actions stating the solution and how we could really change the situation. I know throughut history TB has been a big problem and the fact that it could become antibiotic resistant, as I read in Neha’s blog, makes it pretty terrifying.
ReplyDeleteHi Rimsha,
ReplyDeleteYour title is extremely engaging and made me click on it almost immediately. However, as other posters have mentioned your post seems to come off as an excerpt of a paper. Though, you have a good amount of information that is eye-opening and concise. It may be to your benefit to explain to readers what tuberculosis is but you do highlight that it is a disease that is still very relevant to our society. Overall, I think you have a very interesting topic that may be to your benefit to explain some of the key features that you want to expand on.
Hi Rimsha,
ReplyDeleteI believe your blog was great at delivering information about Tuberculosis and gave a nice example. I was unaware that TB affects children and adults differently. Although TB is not as common in the US as it is in developing countries, the topic is still an important issue. I like how you included ways to combat oneself against TB which is great for an introduction giving good but minimal information
Hey Rimsha,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. I did not not tuberculosis was such a big deal, I guess here in the U.S. it is not popular. The paper definitely raises awareness but not sure how ordinary readers as myself can help prevent tuberculosis other than getting the TB shot and making sure the people we know also get the shot. I'm sure it would be extremely hard for an ordinary person with no skill in curing infected diseases can find a cure but maybe they can help in raising money for research.
Thanks for the blog!
Interesting blog topic! I'll be honest I didn't realize Tuberculosis was such a problem in developed countries. I had assumed that TB vaccinations had pretty much rendered it useless in our society. You brought up some interesting points but in all honesty I was hoping you would expand on some of those topics. If your blog is going to continue to be about TB that makes sense, but I was hoping to hear at least a little more about these outdated medications and customized vaccines. Maybe you could use those as ideas for blog posts down the road. I had never head of customized vaccines until now and had no idea that our TB medications were actually outdated.
ReplyDeleteHi Rimsha,
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you are continuing with your project one topic. Excellent choice. I found your blog very compelling. TB is a very important topic especially since it's been on the rise recently. You have done a great job of spreading awareness about this issue. Your topic relates to mine so I'm glad I got a chance to learn more. I liked the fact that you had an anecdotal example. It really helped make your point and capture the reader. I also like that you gave specific solutions at the end of your post. Great job with the blog. Good luck with the rest of the project!
I think that because the United States has done a pretty good job of fighting and vaccinating against these diseases people forget that they are still a real concern for much of the world. Education is the key, blogs like yours calling the situation to light and making people think about the fact that so many parents are losing children to something that is virtually not an issue here. I really like that you included in your post some solutions to the problem that TB presents for the children of the world. I am interested to know what the current treatments are and the cost associated with them. Are there other ways to prevent the spread of TB in other parts of the world? Is there any current research looking at new ways of fighting this disease?
ReplyDeleteRimsha,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important topic that should be addressed and carefully monitored. Here in the United States you don't hear much about TB because it is handled very well, but I know friends who live or traveled to other countries where TB is a serious issue. I thought that maybe the cure for adults may help at least a little to children, but I guess not. What I really like about your blog is that you stated solutions or some type of advice to encourage the prevention of TB. I also wonder what is the cost of all the treatment? what is the treatment as of now? and how it is being modified for better results in the future?