Preventive Measures Curb Tuberculosis Spread in Latvia

Latvia's tuberculosis strategy has begun yielding results, with fewer new TB cases registered this year. During the first eight months of 2002, as many as 1,038 new TB cases were registered in Latvia, down 154 from the previous year, Janis Leimans, national tuberculosis and lung disease center director, said on Monday. He said that for the first time since the restoration of Latvia's independence in the early 1990s, there was a slight decrease in the spread of TB and so there were grounds for some optimism. But, Leimans added, "tuberculosis nevertheless is a serious problem for Latvia and it has been recognized by the World Health Organization as well." He said some 250 people have died of TB so far this year, most of them about a month after they were diagnosed; therefore, informing the public about the disease is vital. Most of the patients are unemployed, homeless and alcoholic. Last year, 29 medics providing TB treatment fell ill with the disease.

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