New drugs to fight TB, especially its drug-resistant forms, are urgently needed.

Newswise — ST. LOUIS -- A pilot study at Saint Louis University Center for Vaccine Development could shape the future of tuberculosis vaccine research by developing tests to identify the most promising vaccine candidates to address this global health crisis.

Tuberculosis (TB)   has  emerged  as  the most leading cause of death from any single infectious agent and has continued  to be a major public health problem all over the world. Of the over 14 million cases worldwide reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2010, Nigeria ranked fourth in terms of incidence.

Compared with HIV-negative people, those with HIV had a higher risk of recurrent tuberculosis in a prospective study in Malawi. Among people with HIV, taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) lowered the risk of recurrent TB.

Abstract

At last, tackling tuberculosis (TB) in children is on the international agenda. This year, for the first time, an estimate of the extent of TB in children was included in the Global Tuberculosis Report. Although the report acknowledged that the figures were approximate and probably too low, their inclusion ends the paucity of global paediatric TB data. Also in the past year, there have been advances in paediatric TB care. The growing awareness and focus on the plight of children was reflected in the 2012 International Union of TB and Lung Health Conference held last week in Kuala Lumpur with workshops, symposiums, posters and plenary sessions on paediatric TB.

Globally, children bear a high burden of mortality and morbidity from tuberculosis and U.S. youngsters – despite low TB prevalence here – are not immune.

WASHINGTON -- A tuberculosis drug under review by the FDA seems to work well in combination with other treatments while appearing to be "safe and well-tolerated," the agency said.

It seems so. Close to the heels of the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2012 releasing some data on childhood tuberculosis for the first time, one plenary at the recently concluded 43rd Union World Conference on Lung Health in Kuala Lumpur was dedicated to ‘Childhood TB: We need to do more’. Childhood TB (CTB) is finally on the public health agenda and children are now being recognized as a vulnerable group in the field of TB. The increase in childhood TB is an indication of the failure of the control of TB epidemic and an indication of household TB dynamics, as well as the emergence of transmitted Multidrug Resistant (MDR) TB. The disease presents itself with high (albeit preventable and treatable) morbidity and mortality in the youngsters. An estimated 490,000 children are falling ill with TB every year and 200 are dying of it every day (the actual numbers would be much more).