Thousands of young illegal immigrants with tuberculosis were released from U.S. government custody across one year, officials have revealed in a new report. The illegal immigrants, all under 18 years of age, were released to family members or other responsible adults despite having latent tuberculosis infection, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)…

In a major setback to fighting tuberculosis (TB), the first clinical trial of a shortened treatment has been forced to shut down the enrollment of new participants. The trial aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a three-month course of drugs, but interim analysis revealed high rates of unfavorable outcomes. Globally, tuberculosis is the second…

Canada’s Public Health Agency has not come even close to meeting its target to eliminate tuberculosis, after six years of effort. An agency report, “Evaluation of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Tuberculosis Activities,” published on June 22, said tuberculosis rates “have not decreased.” “After a significant decrease and then stagnation Canada’s tuberculosis rate is…

Over the past few years, we have experienced isolation, mask-wearing, and significant behavioral changes in response to a declared pandemic. As that emergency fades into the “new normal” of our post-COVID world—the mass migration of people into Western countries is setting the stage for something potentially worse. The escalating influx of individuals from various regions…

Researchers have carried out a clinical trial of a freeze-dried, temperature-stable experimental tuberculosis vaccine that could one day be an alternative to the BCG vaccine, which has significant drawbacks. At present, BCG is the only vaccine licensed against TB. BCG is a freeze-dried powder that must be stored under frozen conditions and can be “readily…

NATIONAL CITY, Calif.—Students and staff at Boys & Girls Club’s National City location and some Boys & Girls Club summer campsites may have been exposed to tuberculosis (TB), San Diego County public health officials announced Jan. 26. The county’s Health and Human Services Agency’s Public Health Services department and club officials have worked to identify…

SAN DIEGO—Students and staff at California State University–San Marcos may have been exposed to tuberculosis (TB) this fall semester, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency announced Nov. 23. The agency’s Public Health Services and university officials have worked together to identify and notify those who had a higher risk of exposure to tuberculosis…

Two strains of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis have only minor genetic differences but attack the lungs in completely different ways, researchers report. The findings could help break the cycle of rapid transmission of TB. The disease mechanisms uncovered in the study could also provide answers about why treatments work in some patients but not…

Commentary Many of Canada’s important historical figures have seen their statutes toppled and their names erased from buildings and maps in recent years in an outburst of historical cleansing. Among the victims: Sir John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson, Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, and Samuel de Champlain, all former heroes and nation builders. Whatever good these dead…

LEMON GROVE, Calif.—A person at Learn4Life Workforce Innovation High School in Lemon Grove was recently diagnosed with tuberculosis and may have exposed students and staff, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency announced Wednesday. The agency is working with officials at the school to notify people who were potentially exposed. The potential exposure…