It's TB, not TP
Hello everyone! This is an AP for my class, Disease. During this unit, we've been going over things like the R-naught of diseases, how they can spread, the efficacy of vaccines, and even talked with people that work with the CDC in various locations in the US. We were then given a disease to study and write a report on. It had to have suggestions on what to do in case of an outbreak of that disease were to happen again. This is my report, so I hope you enjoy!
The scenario given to me was an outbreak of tuberculosis in Delaware. Due to a bone repair product containing the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, an outbreak happened, causing the CDC to get involved. While most patients that developed TB weren’t immunocompromised, one patient did have a history with the disease. This is a more abnormal outbreak of tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis is a disease that has been with humanity for years. It’s a disease that primarily attacks the lungs, causing respiratory problems. The primary way it spreads is through things like coughing, sneezing, singing, essentially anything that may spread droplets in the air. If someone without the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis were to breathe in those droplets, it’s possible that they would get the germ that causes TB if the person was showing symptoms. It’s impossible to get the germ if the person isn’t already sick with it. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs, though it does attack other parts of the body as well. People who are most at risk are those who immigrated from areas with high rates of TB, children under 5 years of age, and those who would be immunocompromised like those with HIV, homeless persons, etc.
The timeline for getting tuberculosis goes like this: you get exposed to it via one of the methods listed before. The time to start to show symptoms can be anywhere from 2-3 months to years. It could also just never show up. Once you start to show symptoms, TB can become fatal if not treated. Also, around the time you show symptoms is around the time you’ll also be able to spread the germ.
There was, however, an outbreak that spread tuberculosis in a lot more of a different ways. Aziyo Biologics Inc., a medical company, created a malleable bone repair substance called FiberCel. In March-April 2021, a Delaware acute hospital informed the Delaware Division of Public Health about how 8 patients had developed tuberculosis after surgery. The DPH contacted the CDC, then the CDC issued a nationwide investigation. It turned out that the bone repair product had the bacteria that caused tuberculosis in it, and it apparently was not scanned for any harmful bacteria. A recall for all the FiberCel distributed was issued by Aziyo, and patients were treated for tuberculosis even if they didn’t show symptoms.
In this case, the timeline for tuberculosis is a lot different than the first. The way the germ Mycobacterium tuberculosis spreads is through FiberCel, though that’s the main thing that’s different. The symptoms are the same.
Tuberculosis is a rare disease and it’s possible many people may not get it, but we must be prepared in case an outbreak like this happens again. For a more personal way to make sure tuberculosis doesn’t spread, people should practice better hygiene like covering their mouths when sneezing or coughing. This is one of the better methods that can stop the spread of the droplets in the air. Another personal recommendation: wear a mask or some face covering, much like we do right now. More social expectations should be that you should get vaccinated for tuberculosis. This gives you some protection against the disease in case you do come into contact with it. There’s also trying to avoid outings if you or someone you know has gotten tuberculosis. This makes sure that it doesn’t spread wildly. Some municipal policies that should be introduced are better ventilation and inspecting products that might have harmful bacteria. Better ventilation allows droplets with TB to be filtered out, and inspecting products that could have more harmful bacteria ensures that products like FiberCel don’t have the ability to accidentally spread TB again.
Works Cited
Knutson, Jacob. “CDC Investigating Tuberculosis Outbreak Linked to More than 100 Spinal Surgeries.” Axios, 19 June 2021, www.axios.com/cdc-tuberculosis-outbreak-spinal-surgeries-b93e2386-65cb- 4db8-8e6c-e4bcec9b6437.html. Accessed 7 Mar. 2022.
Li R, Wilson WW, Schwartz NG, et al. Notes from the Field: Tuberculosis Outbreak Linked to a Contaminated Bone Graft Product Used in Spinal Surgery — Delaware, March–June 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1261–1263. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7036a4external icon
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