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In a study published on April 10 in
Science Translational Medicine, researchers led by Harriet Mills of the
University of Bristol in the United Kingdom have said that treating an entire
community with the generic drug isoniazid may increase the possibility of drug
resistance in that population, which calls into question large-scale public
health interventions.
According to the study, prevention
of TB— the world’s second-deadliest infectious disease with 1.4 million deaths
in 2011—may unintentionally increase drug resistance to more dangerous strains
of the disease, especially among HIV-infected patients.
The World Health Organization
recommends giving isoniazid to HIV-positive individuals as they are more likely
to develop severe TB in comparison to healthier individuals.
While most TB can be cured with
antibiotics, drug-resistant strains of the disease afflict approximately
630,000 individuals globally. A study published in August stated that almost
half of the TB patients who had received prior treatment were resistant to a
second-line drug, suggesting that the infection might become “virtually
untreatable.”
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
