TB and children
July 27, 2012
MOST cases of tuberculosis
remain undiagnosed since the
standard testing procedure is not
effective in children, according to
Dr Marais, a paediatrician based at
the Children’s Hospital at
Westmead.
Maris, an Associate Professor at
the University of Sydney, whose
Tuberculosis in Children article is
featured in the latest issue of The
New England Journal of Medicine, is
urging health workers to get trained
to recognise children at risk of TB,
and “to promote better prevention
strategies and make sure that
adequate diagnosis and treatment
is readily accessible.”
“Many doctors think children
don’t get TB,” said Dr Marais.
“They do, in fact young children
are exceptionally vulnerable
because of their underdeveloped
immune systems,” he added.
Australia does not have high rates
of TB in its adult and child
population, however Maris argues
that it remains an important health
issue for Australia given our
regional proximity to heavily
affected nations.
“High disease rates in countries
such as Papua New Guinea,
Indonesia, Vietnam, China and
India are complicated by a growing
incidence of drug resistant strains,”
he said.
“The majority of children
diagnosed with TB in the clinics at
Westmead are from immigrant
families, but indications are that
about one third of children get
infected locally, suggesting on-going
TB transmission within
communities,” he added.
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