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The national health department says there are over a 100 confirmed cases of XDR-TB nationwide
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October 17, 2006, 15:45
The national health department says so far there have been 103 confirmed cases of extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) in five provinces. Gauteng has nine cases, Free State six, North West province 10, KwaZulu-Natal 78, while Limpopo has three unconfirmed cases.
The figures emerged at a two-day urgent meeting between governments, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and TB managers from neighbouring countries to discuss the deadly strain.
Thami Mseleku, the health director-general, says they are still trying to establish the extent of the prevalence. "This has to do with laboratory tests, the sample taken from patients when they elicit a certain response to a drug to see what drugs they respond to," he says.
"What you have is a situation where we can give the figures to what has already been identified in the various provinces, but it might not be the total picture," Mseleku adds.
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| RELATED STORIES | | XDR TB needs government action: health DG (October 17, 2006, 14:30) | | Media reports on TB exaggerated, dangerous: MEC (October 14, 2006, 14:45) | | Community urged to follow prescribed TB treatment (October 14, 2006, 12:45) | | Manto must do more to manage XDR-TB (October 13, 2006, 20:30) | | XDR-TB outbreak hits the North West (October 06, 2006, 12:45) | | Deadly TB claims 11 more lives in KZN (October 03, 2006, 12:30) |
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