Tuberculosis in Sierra Leone

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About a third of people in the world are infected with TB. Less than five percent of Canadians have TB. In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of TB is as high as 50%. So, I will come into contact with TB on a daily basis. Whether I am infected depends on how careful I am with infection control routines. 

 TB is spread by aerosol by an individual with active TB who coughs. After a person with active TB coughs, the bacteria can remain in the air for several hours. Infected individuals with positive sputum and a caseating granuloma can expel as many of 3000 infected droplets with a single cough. As few as 10 organisms are able to transmit the infection! Wearing an N95 mask minimizes the risk because this mask filters out 95% of particles less than 0.3 microns in diameter. The TB bacillus is carried on droplets about 1 to 5 microns in diameter.

 So, this means wearing a mask in the hospital will be like breathing. Got it. 

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