TUBERCULOSIS CASES INCREASE IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI LAST YEAR

The numbers show a rise in active cases of tuberculosis in Southeast Missouri, but it isn't anything to be upset about, area communicable disease specialists say.

Tales of resistant, death-causing strains, publicized in New York and other large cities, shouldn't come true here any time soon.

It's noteworthy that Southeast Missouri's numbers dropped in the early part of the decade and then rose again -- to 39 active cases in 1994 in the area's 25 counties.

"It was an `oh-no' type of thing," said Lynn Tennison, tuberculosis outreach nurse for the Missouri Department of Health. "This year started out slower. We only have two cases in the 25 counties at this time compared with seven last year."

She said those were confirmed cases, but there are some suspect cases on the books.

So far, there haven't been highly resistant strains in the area. Some tuberculosis patients haven't responded to one or two types of medicine, but were cured by other kinds. Some strains found elsewhere won't respond to any of five types of treatment.

The disease spreads when its victims sneeze or cough, projecting saliva and mucus particles into the air. Other people breath the particles into their lungs. They may develop an active case, with symptoms like weight loss, night sweats, productive coughing or bloody mucus.

People who have been exposed to the disease but don't develop symptoms can be checked through a skin test, which will reveal if they have developed antibodies to fight tuberculosis. It is up to a doctor to decide if these people should be treated with antibiotics.

If a skin test comes up positive, medical personnel may decide to give the patient a sputum test and culture, said Vicki McDowell, communicable disease coordinator for Cape Girardeau County. Because tuberculosis is highly contagious, a patient is usually given medicine as soon as the sputum test comes back positive, which can be within 24 hours.

A culture takes four to six weeks.

When someone has tuberculosis, his immediate family is tested to see if they carry it, too. If they do, close associates are tested. If enough people are treated early, the disease can be kept under control.

McDowell recommended people in high-risk professions be tested routinely. These would include employees of nursing homes, prisons, police departments and hospitals. They work with the public constantly or spend a lot of time in group-living situations.

If someone goes to the health department for a skin test, he will be sent to his doctor for follow-up testing and treatment. If he doesn't have a doctor or the money to go, the state will pay.

The health department must keep track of all detected tuberculosis cases.

"We will get it resolved one way or another," McDowell said.