WSJournal. At Europe's Doorstep, Fierce War Against TB
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788..._Video_Top
drug-resistant tuberculosis in Estonia
TARTU, Estonia—All along the edges of Western Europe, new and hard-to-defeat strains of tuberculosis are gaining a foothold, often moving beyond traditional victims—alcoholics, drug users, HIV patients—and into the wider population.
Which is why Irina Nikolajeva, a petite 34-year-old former furniture saleswoman, spent the better part of four months in virtual lockdown here last year. She was resistant to all but one of 10 TB drugs. Nobody could figure out how she even caught the disease.
"NAKKUSOHT!" declared a bright red sign just steps from her tiny, bare isolation room. "DANGER OF INFECTION!" To see her 18-month-old daughter, she initially needed Skype. "I could see my child running around at home," Ms. Nikolajeva recalled. "She'd say, 'Hello, Mama.' "
Estonia's aggressiveness—and only recently, its success—in turning the corner against drug-resistant TB offers one of the few bright spots globally as the ancient plague mutates into new and more deadly forms. Indeed, experts say the country, with half the population of Chicago, could be a model for others. But there is one catch: It takes years and some pricey treatments just to gain the upper hand.
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