Thousands will die unless authorities step in: WHO
(NEWSER) - Ominous news from WHO: Incredibly drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis are coursing through Europe, and will kill tens of thousands unless health officials intervene. WHO's regional director blamed the resurgence on complacency, noted that the disease "is evolving with a vengeance," and announced the creation of a plan intended to stamp out the pandemic. Reuters reports that documented cases of extensively drug-resistant TB ballooned six-fold between 2008 and 2009, and notes that these drug-resistant forms—which don't respond to first- and second-line courses of antibiotics—typically kill 50% of those who contract it. WHO estimates 81,000 cases of drug-resistant TB surface in Europe each year, reports the BBC . More»
