TB the deadliest infection of all in the Overstrand

Writer: Colleen Naudé.

The Coronavirus has made people around the world aware of the consequences of a highly infectious disease. A total of 16 cases of people infected by the virus has been reported in the Western Cape thus far (by 16 March) and Corona has become the talk of the town – also in Hermanus.

However, most people in the Overstrand remain oblivious to the fact that they are surrounded – and thus at threat of being infected – by tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infection.

TB is highly contagious, and if undetected can spin out of control, affecting all sectors of the community. It is estimated that 80% of inhabitants in the Western Cape carry TB bacteria.

On 24 March, World TB Day will once again be commemorated to raise public awareness of the devastating consequences of the disease. The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch, a German physician and microbiologist, announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, opening the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 19)