In recent days, several cases of tuberculosis have been recorded in France, in different departments. This Wednesday, November 20, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Health Agency reported two cases, children of the same siblings, at a Libourne nursery school. “Checks are being organized to detect possible secondary cases to quickly offer them appropriate treatment and thus prevent the spread of the disease,” the department said in a press release.
In Seine-Maritime, a case of tuberculosis A contagious infection was detected in a person attending a campus of the University of Rouen, BFM Normandie also learned on Wednesday from the Normandy Regional Health Agency (ARS).
An investigation carried out by the department’s anti-tuberculosis center identified “about sixty contacts between students and a dozen between teachers,” indicated the ARS. They were offered screening using a chest x-ray and blood test.
A contagious disease in 10% of cases.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that, in 90% of cases, does not cause symptoms and is not contagious, according to Health Insurance. In the remaining 10%, it is “active” tuberculosis, as in Libourne and Rouen. It then manifests itself with symptoms such as “prolonged cough, fatigue, fever, night sweats, weight loss and chest pain,” according to the Pasteur Institute website.
The mycobacteria that causes tuberculosis is transmitted through the air (talking, sneezing, coughing, etc.) through “prolonged close contact,” “when we live in the same home as the infected person or travel together in a vehicle,” explains the Ministry of Health on its website.
Its transmission also depends “on the degree of contagion of the patient as well as the duration of contact (normally at least several hours of contact are necessary).”
Several thousand cases a year in France
For Renaud Piarroux, head of the parasitology and mycology service at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris, the cases registered in Libourne and Rouen should not be a cause for particular concern. “There are several thousand a year” in France, this infectious disease specialist underlines to BFMTV.com.
In fact, according to Public Health France, 4,728 cases of tuberculosis were recorded there in 2023. This disease, which is mandatory to report, is most common in Guyana, Ile-de-France and Mayotte and mainly affects “the most vulnerable populations.” particularly homeless or incarcerated people. This respiratory disease is transmitted in any weather, although it circulates “a little more pronounced in winter,” according to Renaud Piarroux.
Furthermore, tuberculosis “is very treatable”, according to the Ministry of Health. There is a vaccine against tuberculosis: BCG (Bacille Calmette and Guérin), which however is not very effective against cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in adolescents and adults, explains the Pasteur Institute.
Source: BFM TV
