TB clinic launched in Limerick

IN THE lead up to World TB Day, Public Health Mid-West and St John's Hospital in Limerick are launching a TB contact tracing, testing and monitoring clinic at the city centre hospital, where they will provide free antibiotics to treat the diseases.

This Mid-West MyContact Clinic, will operate up to twice a week, will identify and screen close contacts of TB patients, which is crucial in preventing TB from spreading in the community.

The clinic will also treat those that are identified through this process as having Latent TB Infection (LTBI), or asymptomatic TB.

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According to a statement made by Public Health Mid-West, LTBI can be dormant, but can reactivate when the immune system can no longer suppress it. This can happen in elderly or vulnerable people with weak immune systems. If untreated, this can be infectious or even become fatal.

According to provisional data, there were 21 cases of the infection in the Mid-West in 2022. There have been fewer than five cases to date this year.

World TB Day is March 24, and highlights the bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs, kidney, spine, and brain. The disease is curable and preventable with antibiotics.