Despite scientific advances and the availability of treatment resources, there is an increasing trend in the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in Guantánamo province.
Dr. Marjoris Mengana González, head of the communicable disease care program at the Provincial Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology, explained that it is one of the most persistent and deadly infectious diseases in the world.
She warned that the most common form of tuberculosis affects the lungs, but it can spread to other organs, such as the kidneys, spine, or brain.
The TB is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that is transmitted when a patient coughs, sneezes, or sings. At that moment, tiny droplets containing microbes are released into the air, which is then inhaled by another person, facilitating the entry of the microbes into their lungs.
The epidemiologist stated that the main vulnerable groups that fall ill with TB include people with HIV, prisoners and former prisoners, as well as alcoholics, smokers, diabetics, and older adults.
Health care workers are at risk, patients with prolonged confinement, and those with asthma and chronic kidney failure are at an increased risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB).
At Guantánamo, efforts are being made to minimize the impact of tuberculosis, a preventable, treatable, and curable disease that is on the rise worldwide.
