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| PRESS CONTACT: Office of Communications CDC, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention (404) 639鈥?895 |
Multidrug resistant strains have also been shown to have increased dramatically in several regions. Russia has recently
adopted the World Health Organization's (WHO) worldwide strategy of DOTS or Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course to control tuberculosis. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO, and U.S. Agency for International Development are helping implement basic DOTS programs in the
Orel and Vladimir oblasts (regions) and strengthen the DOTS program started in 1995 by WHO in Ivanovo oblast. CDC researchers evaluated the
treatment outcomes of 310 civilian and 39 incarcerated TB patients in the first six months after introducing a DOTS program to the Orel Oblast.
Treatment success 鈥?defined as a patient who completed treatment or who's cure can be documented using bacteriological tests 鈥?was achieved in 88%
of the new civilian TB cases and 60% of the civilian patients being re-treated for the disease. Of the incarcerated patients, 97% completed
treatment. As a whole, the treatment success rate was higher in Orel than in other parts of Russia, where the DOTS strategy has been effectively
implemented. CDC suggests that this success may be due to the dedication of TB control staff to ensure patients complete treatment, lower rates of
multi-drug resistant TB, and the possibility that patients are seeking treatment sooner rather than later. CDC scientists also reported on an
evaluation of the Ivanovo TB control project, established five years ago. CDC found that 28% of highly infectious patients interrupted their
six-month course of anti-TB drugs. Non-adherence to TB treatment may lead to the development of multi-drug resistant TB strains and to the spread
of TB.
Influenza activity during the 2000-2001 season was moderate and peaked at the end of January.
| PRESS CONTACT: Alicia Postema, M.P.H. CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases (404) 639鈥?747 |
Influenza activity peaked at the end of January when 24% of specimens tested at reporting laboratories were positive for
influenza and 4.1% of visits to U.S. influenza sentinel physicians were due to influenza-like illness. During the previous three influenza
seasons, the peak percentage of specimens testing positive for influenza ranged from 28% to 32% and the peak percentage of patient visits to
sentinel physicians ranged from 4.9% to 5.6%. Pneumonia and influenza mortality as reported by the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System remained
below epidemic threshold during the 2000-2001 season. The predominant influenza strain circulating this season was influenza A (H1N1); however,
the proportion of influenza B virus isolates is increasing.
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CDC Home | Search | Health Topics A-Z This page last reviewed Friday, March 23, 2001 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
