A stark reminder that the deadliest infectious disease worldwide also still occurs in the Netherlands.
Yesterday, on World TB Day, the Dutch football club PSV Eindhoven announced that a first-team player has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB). The football player is expected to be off the pitch for several weeks to undergo treatment and the club has initiated protocols to test close contacts and minimize the risk of further transmission.
The PSV Eindhoven football player is one of over 10 million people (!) diagnosed with TB every year. Nearly 4,000 people die every day from TB worldwide, including about 600 children. This often ‘forgotten’ disease is still the deadliest infectious disease in the world and can affect anyone.
This incident underscores a global health reality and call to care: “No one is safe until everyone is safe from TB.”
About TB
TB remains one of the leading causes of preventable deaths, claiming up to 1.3 million lives annually. The disease has the ability to affect individuals across all demographics highlighting the importance of comprehensive public health strategies and the need for continued surveillance and strengthened healthcare systems.
The bacterium first of all has a sort of harness: an almost impenetrable, unique surface which protects the bacteria from attacks by our immune system and antibiotics. In addition, the bacterium comes armed with a wide arsenal of proteins, secreted in order to manipulate and cunningly avoid our immune system.
TB infection vs TB disease?
Understanding the distinction between TB infection and TB disease is crucial in addressing the spread and impact of TB. The signs and symptoms of active TB (disease) are coughing, sometimes with sputum or blood, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. TB most often affects the lungs, but it is not always the case. It can cause serious damage to the lungs and other organs.
TB infection is spread from person to person through the air when people with lung TB cough, sneeze, spit or for instance sings.
A quarter of the world population (!) has latent TB.
When a person develops the disease TB, the symptoms may be mild for many months. This can lead to delays in seeking care, and results in transmission of the bacteria to others. An individual with undiagnosed and untreated lung TB disease may infect ten to fifteen other people through close contact.
What now?
The case of the PSV Eindhoven player serves as a reminder of the importance of early detection and treatment. TB is curable and preventable, but without proper treatment, up to two-thirds of people ill with TB may die. We might think TB is a thing of the past, and that we are safe from it. But that is simply not true, as long as there is no proper vaccine. TB anywhere is TB everywhere.
We hope for a speed recovery of the player’s health and we look forward to seeing him back on the field when it’s safe for him and his team.
About us
Over the past 120 years, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation has acquired indispensable knowledge and experience in the field of effective TB prevention and care. We have made significant contributions to global evidence generation, policy development and effective & innovative TB tools and program implementation locally and worldwide.
KNCV works towards a world free from TB and other infectious diseases. But we can’t achieve this without you! You can Help Stop Tuberculosis! DONATE HERE.