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Korea on alert over increase in tuberculosis patients among elderly
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By Jun Ji-hye
No. of TB patients trends upward for 1st time in 12 years
Health authorities are on alert over an increasing number of tuberculosis (TB) patients among the elderly, as TB is one of the most fatal contagious diseases, especially for those who are vulnerable to respiratory illness.
TB is an infection that usually affects the lungs. Common symptoms include a cough that lasts more than three weeks, a high temperature and night sweats.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Thursday, a total of 15,451 TB cases have been reported in the country during the January-September period, up 0.1 percent from a year earlier, marking the first increase in 12 years.
The figure continued to plunge for 11 consecutive years since 2011 as a result of the government’s consistent efforts to control the disease. The number of TB cases, which stood at 45,292 in 2013, fell to 20,383 last year. But this year, the number rose.
The increase was most pronounced among people over 65, the KDCA said, noting that the number of TB patients among that age group increased by 5 percent year-on-year. For people aged over 80, the rise stood at 7.8 percent.
The figure decreased for those aged between 0 and 50.
The KDCA attributed the increasing number of TB patients among the elderly to the end of COVID-19 restrictions such as indoor mask rules and the recovery of TB testing capabilities of medical institutions following the country’s transition from a pandemic to an endemic phase.
The agency said the increase could also have been influenced by the rising number of foreign nationals staying in the country, noting that the number increased by 14.6 percent year-on-year from 2,123 in August last year to 2,433 this August. Consequently, the number of foreign TB patients reported during the January-September period increased to 870 from last year’s 815.
In response to the upward trend in TB cases, the KDCA plans to beef up publicity of the country’s free TB testing offered every year to senior citizens so as to facilitate early detection and treatment of the disease.
The agency is also carrying out free testing for vulnerable social groups such as homeless people.
“We advise the elderly to continue to wear face masks as they are vulnerable to respiratory illness,” KDCA Commissioner Jee Young-mee said.
“TB has become a forgotten disease for many people, but Korea still ranks first in the incidence of TB among OECD member countries, and the fact remains that TB is one of the most fatal contagious diseases.”
Korea ranks No. 1 among OECD members when it comes to the number of TB cases. It has retained that title for the last 26 years.
In 2021, the number of TB cases in Korea per 100,000 people stood at 44, which was far higher than the OECD average of 9.7. The United States had the lowest number of TB cases at 2.6 that year.
In addition, deaths due to TB per 100,000 people in Korea stood at 3.8, which was the third highest after Columbia with 5 and Lithuania with 4.6.
In March, the KDCA announced a five-year plan to control TB, aiming to reduce the number of cases per 100,000 people to less than 20.