Comments on: Tuberculosis: TB or Not TB http://www.drjohnhong.com/blog/2007/138/ Real Medicine, Plain Talk Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:18:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: admin http://www.drjohnhong.com/blog/2007/138/#comment-219 admin Wed, 04 Jul 2007 17:09:15 +0000 http://www.drjohnhong.com/blog/2007/138/#comment-219 Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 09:45:52 -0400 >From: "Lisa Pelegrin" >To: editor@readthehook.com >Subject: Letter to the Editor - John Hong's editorial 6/28/07 >I am writing in response to John Hong's editorial about tuberculosis >(June 28, 2007). First, I'd like to clarify that Andrew Speaker had >XDR-TB, not MDR-TB, which is a deadlier and harder to treat strain of >TB. Without an increased response from our elected officials, it is a >problem that will only get worse. > >TB is already a quickly growing threat to global public health; >one-third of the world is infected with TB and 1.6 million people die >of it annually. TB is also the number one killer of people with AIDS. >It is within our power and ability to control this grave health threat! >TB treatment and research is grossly under-funded and a critical piece >of legislation in both the House and Senate called the Stop TB Now Act >of 2007 will help remedy this (bill number H.R. 1567 for the House and >S. 968 for the Senate). If passed, this act would authorize up to $400 >million in 2008 and $550 in 2009 to enhance and provide basic treatment >as well as funding for research to combat XDR-TB. I urge readers to >please take a stand by writing to your Congressmen and women about the >Stop TB Now Act to ask them to co-sponsor this bill. > >-Lisa Pelegrin >Harrisonburg, Va >James Madison University >College of Arts and Letters >RESULTS Educational Fund >ACTION Intern >HealthDotComm >JMU Women's Ultimate Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 09:45:52 -0400
>From: “Lisa Pelegrin”
>To: editor@readthehook.com
>Subject: Letter to the Editor - John Hong’s editorial 6/28/07

>I am writing in response to John Hong’s editorial about tuberculosis
>(June 28, 2007). First, I’d like to clarify that Andrew Speaker had
>XDR-TB, not MDR-TB, which is a deadlier and harder to treat strain of
>TB. Without an increased response from our elected officials, it is a
>problem that will only get worse.
>
>TB is already a quickly growing threat to global public health;
>one-third of the world is infected with TB and 1.6 million people die
>of it annually. TB is also the number one killer of people with AIDS.
>It is within our power and ability to control this grave health threat!
>TB treatment and research is grossly under-funded and a critical piece
>of legislation in both the House and Senate called the Stop TB Now Act
>of 2007 will help remedy this (bill number H.R. 1567 for the House and
>S. 968 for the Senate). If passed, this act would authorize up to $400
>million in 2008 and $550 in 2009 to enhance and provide basic treatment
>as well as funding for research to combat XDR-TB. I urge readers to
>please take a stand by writing to your Congressmen and women about the
>Stop TB Now Act to ask them to co-sponsor this bill.
>
>-Lisa Pelegrin
>Harrisonburg, Va
>James Madison University
>College of Arts and Letters
>RESULTS Educational Fund
>ACTION Intern
>HealthDotComm
>JMU Women’s Ultimate

]]> By: admin http://www.drjohnhong.com/blog/2007/138/#comment-221 admin Wed, 04 Jul 2007 17:21:48 +0000 http://www.drjohnhong.com/blog/2007/138/#comment-221 Dear Dr. Hong, I enjoy your column in the HOOK. Regarding “TB or not TB” I wonder whether your medical facts were acquired here at UVa? I taught Clinical Microbiology between 1979 and 1996 and cannot remember that I or any of my colleagues ever defined tuberculosis as “a bacteria”. TB is the disease caused by the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and it is the disease that has been responsible for the death. Please don’t call a bacterium (Latin neuter singular) “a bacteria” as bacteria is plural, and it is not feminine. Kind regards, Dieter H.M. Grvschel, M.D. An old microbiologist and Professor emeritus, UVA Schoold of Medicine Departments of Pathology and Internal Medicine Dear Dr. Hong,
I enjoy your column in the HOOK. Regarding “TB or not TB” I wonder whether your medical facts were acquired here at UVa? I taught Clinical Microbiology between 1979 and 1996 and cannot remember that I or any of my colleagues ever defined tuberculosis as “a bacteria”. TB is the disease caused by the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and it is the disease that has been responsible for the death. Please don’t call a bacterium (Latin neuter singular) “a bacteria” as bacteria is plural, and it is not feminine.

Kind regards,
Dieter H.M. Grvschel, M.D.

An old microbiologist and

Professor emeritus,

UVA Schoold of Medicine

Departments of Pathology

and Internal Medicine

]]> By: admin http://www.drjohnhong.com/blog/2007/138/#comment-222 admin Wed, 04 Jul 2007 17:23:37 +0000 http://www.drjohnhong.com/blog/2007/138/#comment-222 Thank you both for your information. Well, as far as "Bacteria" I just try to write for laypersons, but our professor is right. And the mystery continues because this morning July 4, they now say it is MDR-TB. But does he have active TB? I am still confused. Thank you both for your information. Well, as far as “Bacteria” I just try to write for laypersons, but our professor is right. And the mystery continues because this morning July 4, they now say it is MDR-TB. But does he have active TB? I am still confused.

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