Manitoba's tuberculosis rate double the national average: WRHA
Manitoba continues to experience the highest rate of tuberculosis among Canadian provinces, but health officials say that number could be brought down dramatically by addressing root causes of the infectious disease.
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority medical officer of health Dr. Pierre Plourde said our province sees on average about 200 cases of TB a year, which is double the average rate in all of Canada.
According to the World Health Organization, TB is the world's second deadliest infectious disease, following COVID-19. It is caused by bacteria that typically affects the lungs. The germs are mostly spread from person to person in the air, like when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Health officials say the disease can easily be mistaken for other respiratory or bacterial diseases, as coughing is a common symptom.
A tip off that it is TB and not influenza or COVID - the cough often comes with fever, severe night sweats or unexplained weight loss. The cough can also persist for weeks.
“When you see those other symptoms, it's a trigger for paying more attention to it,” Dr. Plourde said in an interview on CTV Morning Live Winnipeg on Friday.
He said the disease is treatable with antibiotics over many months, but it can be more challenging the more developed the disease is.
According to Plourde, cases are disproportionately high in northern areas of the province, where the rates are 10 times the Canadian average.
He said this is mostly due to socioeconomic conditions and not a lack of health care.
“In the north where TB spreads like wildfire, it’s primarily the poor housing,” he said.
“When you've got 25 people living in a three-bedroom bungalow where there should only be maybe five or six people in that setting, TB just spreads very easily.”
Still, he said progress has been made. TB rates in the north have seen steady decreases in recent years.
Plourde said drastic progress is unlikely without addressing issues of marginalization, like poverty and the living conditions associated with it.
“That's what's going to bring us to the elimination of TB in the province.”
- With files from CTV's Ainsley McPhail and the Associated Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
'Ready to go': Fort McMurray residents prepared for evacuation as crews battle nearby wildfire
An evacuation alert remains in place in the Fort McMurray area on Monday afternoon.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.