March 22, 2008 - By Simon Bennett

Our Scotland correspondent, writing in the BNP’s Regional Voices here and here, has reported on a number of outbreaks of Tuberculosis (TB) in Glasgow schools in recent months. During the Victorian and Edwardian periods TB was known as the “White Death” on account of the huge number of people who succumbed to it and subsequently died. TB – traditionally considered as a disease of “poverty and overcrowding” – was thought to have been eliminated in Britain by the mid 1960’s through the use of antibiotics and the demolition of slums.

Unfortunately, largely due to immigration and consequent contact with parts of the world where it remains endemic – such as eastern Europe and the Indian subcontinent – it is back and presents a growing threat to the health of the nation.

So far so bad! But it gets worse – a lot worse!

Today we learn that the first case of a “virtually untreatable” strain of TB (XDR-TB) has been diagnosed in Glasgow – leading to a 30-year old man being confined in isolation in a city hospital. The implications of this discovery are as enormous as they are frightening. Should this particular strain of TB become established in the community then the consequences for public health, particularly for the most vulnerable – the young and old – do not bear thinking about.

The Guardian describes this strain as follows:

“XDR-TB is an extremely serious form of TB,” said Professor Peter Davis, a Liverpool consultant and secretary of TB Alert in the UK. “It is quite prevalent in other parts of the world. We have got to be aware of it.” Drugs could contain the disease, but not cure it, he said. About half of those who were infected would survive.

Strains of TB which are resistant to the two main antibiotics used to treat it have been spreading across the globe and complicating treatment for some years. About 1% of the 8,497 cases reported in the UK in 2006 showed multiple drug resistance.

XDR-TB, however, is a new and still more alarming phenomenon, showing resistance to both first and second-line drugs. Treatment takes 12 to 18 months and costs more than £100,000 a patient. An outbreak would place a huge financial burden on local health authorities.”

The Sun has also reported on this development. It says:

“An asylum seeker is being treated for the first UK case of a super-strength drug-resistant tuberculosis strain that kills up to HALF of the people it infects. The Somali man, in his 30’s, is in isolation in a Glasgow hospital with the rare strain. He is the first UK patient diagnosed with Extremely Drug Resistant Tuberculosis or XDR-TB.”

“The man was apparently screened for infectious diseases when he arrived in the UK last November. X-rays showed TB scarring on his lungs. He was admitted to hospital in January, after the disease reactivated in his lungs. His treatment could take 12 to 18 months and cost more than £100,000, if he survives.”

Apparently this man travelled freely within the community between his uninvited arrival at Heathrow in November and being admitted to a Glasgow hospital in January!

We believe further comment to be unnecessary – except to say that we hold the Government entirely responsible!

The Sun report may be read: here .

The Guardian report may be found here.

Our health in their hands – frightening isn’t it!