Thursday, March 22, 2012
Perth District Health Unit
Health Unit Launches Online Training Tool to Mark World Tuberculosis Day
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is on Saturday, March 24. The day marks the discovery of the TB bacteria by Dr. Robert Koch in 1882.
Each year there are about 1,600 new TB cases in Canada, many of which are Aboriginal people and new immigrants. While Perth County does not have a high incidence of active TB disease, cases do occur. Every year in Perth County, people are diagnosed with latent TB infection and receive treatment. Latent TB infection is tuberculosis that is not yet capable of spreading from person to person and has not yet made the infected person sick.
New! Online Training Course
This year, the Health Unit is marking World TB Day by partnering with Huron County and Grey Bruce health units to launch an online training tool for local healthcare providers. The module will reinforce their knowledge of tuberculosis identification, testing and treatment.
“TB continues to be prevalent around the world and we cannot let down our guard in Perth County,” says CarolAnn McMann, Public Health Nurse. “ TB can spread easily through the air when someone with active pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, or speaks, so we need to be vigilant.”
Everyone can play a role in stopping TB.
If you have been in contact with someone who has TB, or if you have had a cough that has lasted longer than three weeks with night sweats and weight loss, you may need a TB skin test or chest x-ray. TB skin tests are available through your family doctor or the Perth District Health Unit. Persons planning to reside temporarily in a country where TB is endemic, or volunteer in a setting with increased TB risk, should have a skin test prior to departure and upon return to Perth County.
For more information, call Health Line at 519-271-7600 ext 267 or toll-free at 1-877-271-7348 ext 267. Or visit www.pdhu.on.ca.
Media Contact:
Rebecca Hill
Communications Manager
519-271-7600 ext 279
rhill@pdhu.on.ca
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