Residents warned to be vigilant of bacterial infection

5:30pm Tuesday 5th April 2011

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TUBERCULOSIS has not been eradicated, warn health chiefs.

They are mounting a campaign to make people across Halton aware of the disease.

Tuberculosis, known as TB, is a bacterial infection that can affect any part of th body, but most often the lungs.

Around 9,000 cases were reported in England and Wales in 2009, 819 of these in the north west, up from 743 in 2008.

Professor Dr Qutub Syed, director of the Health Protection Agency north west, said: “Our goal is to give people basic information on TB and its symptoms and the knowledge of what to do if they think they may have the disease.

“This will be one of our top priorities for the next six months.

“It would be a huge mistake for people to think that TB is just in immigrant communities in Britain.

“TB can affect anyone and no one should be complacent about it.

In most cases, TB is fully curable with a six month course of drugs.

the earlier the treatment starts, the more effective it will be.

Symptoms include a cough that lasts for more than three weeks, coughing up blood, night sweats, extreme tiredness and a lack of energy, very high temperatures (fever) and weight loss for no obvious reason.

some people are more at risk than others.

these include people who were exposed to TB in their youth, people whose immunity to infection has been lessened by illness or treatment.

People with chronic poor health as a result of homelessness, alcoholism and drug addiction are prone to TB.

Very young children and old people are also vulnerable.

People are urged to seek medical advice if they have any of these symptoms.

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