TB Incidence Increasing in Canadian Territory of Nunavut

Tuberculosis is on the rise in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, and 28 cases already have been reported this year despite ongoing testing and availability of treatment, the Nunatsiaq News reports. TB prevalence in Nunavut is one of the highest in Canada, and the number of TB cases reported in 2006 could be the highest since the territory was created, according to the Nunatsiaq News. In 2000 there were 48 cases of TB in Nunavut and in 2005 there were 45, the Nunatsiaq News reports. Elaine Randall, a communicable disease expert, said conditions such as overcrowded housing fuels the spread of the disease. To help reduce the spread of TB in Nunavut, health officials follow up with TB patients and test all people who have been in prolonged contact with TB patients. In addition, TB screenings are conducted in schools and other places the disease could spread easily, such as homeless shelters, Randall said. She added that some people are reluctant to get tested. Possible reasons for reluctance include stigma attached to the disease and fears over having to spend years in a TB sanitarium, as was the case historically, the Nunatsiaq News reports. Randall said combating TB will require a "combined effort" and will be a "long process" that addresses the fundamental issues that fuel the spread of the disease, such as poor living conditions and inadequate nutrition (Wallace, Nunatsiaq News, 8/4).