1.9 billion infected with TB

[Talon87]

I was just given this quote in a medical video I am watching as part of my HIPPA / OSHA / other hospital training prior to med school, and I couldn't believe it. But straight from the horse's mouth ...

Over one-third of the world's population now carries the TB bacterium, and new infections occur at a rate of one per second. Not everyone infected develops the full-blown disease, so asymptomatic, latent TB infection is most common. However, one in ten latent infections will progress to active TB disease, which, if left untreated, kills more than half of its victims.


1/3 of the world ~= 1.9 billion people, check
Most people are asymptomatic = my video said that too, check
1 in 10 of the 1 in 3 (a.k.a. 3.3% of planet Earth) develops active TB = 8O


Tuberculosis causes approximately 3 millions deaths per year worldwide. It is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. It is the most common infectious disease cause of death.


*pushes AIDS off the stage*, somebody get a TB cure instead of the BCG or other quasi-effective vaccines, stat

[Doppleganger]

My Dad had TB when he was younger, did nasty things to him. He can't give blood anymore.

[Sylar]

I have the tiniest of TB in my blood, since I got my injection a little while ago.

Never thought 1/3 of the world would have TB though. Oo;

[Talon87]

I have the tiniest of TB in my blood, since I got my injection a little while ago.

Never thought 1/3 of the world would have TB though. Oo;

Mom was considering getting me the BCG while we were over there. But I went online and looked into it, and it turns out that the jury is out on whether or not ...
a) the BCG has any good effect at all, and
b) the BCG contributes in any form to some of the British cases of TB infection (i.e. the vaccine backfires)

Incidence rates are very very low if there is any truth to B, but the concern is apparently enough to get Parliament to consider taking the BCG off the roster. *shrug* Truth be told, the BCG was a placeholder for a better TB vaccine and we (as a planet) simply got lazy and abandoned the search.

Did your arm hurt like hell?

[Sylar]

For about 5 minutes yeah, then it just went a little bit numb for a while, then was fine.

Except my body is so resistant to the actual virus that now I have a small pink lump on my arm. Oo;

[Talon87]

I forget (and always get it mixed up >_<) whether it's the BCG or the smallpox vaccine what does it, but both of my parents have a circular absess (like a cropcircle) on their arms, above the deltoid muscle. IIRC it's the smallpox vaccine, but I still thought of that just now. Do they still give smallpox vaccine in England? (We do not. Sort of wish we did, but the argument at this point is that it would neither be cost-effective [to mass-produce the vaccine] nor would it be safe [since the risks of developing actual smallpox outweigh the infinitesimal chances of contracting smallpox].)

[Sylar]

No, we don't get the smallpox one. The only ones we get are the BCG and Meningitis one. And obviously, the ones you have as a baby.

I hated the meningitis one, I was about 7 and it stinged like hell. Plus, my whole class at school was in the room, so you weren't allowed to cry for fear of popularity. xD