The Next Great Epidemic?

I live by a great peril of wisdom from one of the greatest minds of our times, Bullet Tooth Tony (from the cinematic flick “Snatch”). Tony states, “Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity” after being held up by three men with the words “replica” carved on the side of their guns. Sadly, the human species in general is not immune to such acts of stupidity, even when it involves highly contagious diseases that have the leeway to turn into the next great epidemic.

The media reported that a 31 year old man diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) was advised by his doctor not to travel. TB is a bacterial infection that can affect countless bodily system, but is commonly found in the lungs. But his doctor did not understand that this man (his name has yet to be released) had been planning his wedding in Europe, so the man traveled anyways. It wasn’t until he was in Rome that he was informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that he actually had acquired XDR TB, a rare drug resistant strain of the disease.

The CDC classifies the disease as drug resistant due to the fact that it is immune to first and second line drugs. Last year over 500K cases of XDR TB were reported world wide, occurring on all 6 of the inhabitable continents. Only around 30% of those who acquire the disease survive, which is why this act of stupidity is filling up our airwaves. TB itself is highly contagious and can be spread by talking, sneezing, or coughing; which is why the CDC is attempting to track down those who were on transatlantic flights with the man due to prolonged exposure.

Currently, the 31 year old is back in the U.S. and has been moved from CDC headquarters in Atlanta to a hospital in Denver that specializes in treating XDR TB. The media is undoubtedly going to blow this story out of proportion, confounding the masses into a state of perpetual paranoia. Chances are the disease was not spread to anyone on the transatlantic flights due to the air filtering mechanisms located in jumbo jets. Needless to say, anyone with the slightest bit of common sense should know the risks associated with TB and should listen to their doctors on the issue, not their conscience.