The total number of newly reported Tuberculosis (TB) cases last year dropped below 6,000 for the first time, with the incidence rate decreasing 66 percent in 20 years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on World Tuberculosis Day today.
Taiwan last year recorded 5,742 new TB cases, and the incidence rate dropped to 25 cases per 100,000 people from 73 cases in 2005, the CDC said.
Calling on health bureaus in all 22 counties, medical institutions and civil groups to work together, the CDC said that it aims to reduce TB cases to 10 per 100,000 people by 2030 and eliminate the disease in Taiwan by 2035.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
It would continue efforts to enhance screenings and treatment for high-risk groups, such as elderly people and foreign populations, while promoting shorter-course therapies, the CDC said.
Those over the age of 65 account for 65 percent of new TB cases, while those over the age of 85 account for more than 15 percent, data showed.
Therefore, screening and treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) would continue to be promoted in long-term care facilities and among those with comorbidities such as diabetes and those undergoing dialysis, CDC Director-General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said.
Foreign nationals account for about 10 percent of new cases, or 700 to 800 cases annually, he said.
A majority of the cases come from Southeast Asian countries with a higher prevalence of TB, such as Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, he said.
Some people were infected in childhood and the disease only became active after they arrived in Taiwan, he added.
The CDC has partnered with migrant worker and new immigrant organizations to enhance screening initiatives and provide publicly funded treatment, allocating NT$800 million (US$24.98 million) this year to enhance prevention efforts, he said.
People with coughs that persist for more than two weeks are advised to seek medical attention, as early treatment for LTBI can reduce the risk of developing the active disease by up to 90 percent, the CDC said.
TB infection does not result in lifelong immunity, so prevention is key and can be achieved by maintaining good ventilation, practicing proper cough etiquette and managing chronic diseases, the agency said.
Early-onset TB symptoms can be as subtle as a cough lasting more than two weeks, chest pain, weight loss, fever or loss of appetite, Taiwan Anti-Tuberculosis Association president Yu Ming-chih (余明治) said.
Those experiencing symptoms should seek medical attention, he said, adding that the disease still affects younger people.
LTBI presents no symptoms and is not contagious, but may later develop into the active disease, Taiwan Society of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases chairman Wang Jann-Yuan (王振源) said, recommending early testing for high-risk groups, such as close contacts, immunocompromised people, those with chronic diseases and residents of care facilities.
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