TB -transmitted sexually - NARI !!??

[Guest guest]

The Times of India carried an interview with the head of the National AIDS

Research Institute (NARI), last Monday where he has made the unusual claim

that " TB and some other diseases are transmitted sexually " .

Is it at all possible that this claim has a modicum of truth in it?

It appeared on Page 5 in the Bombay edition and I'm wondering how many

people read it. It seems quite controversial as it claims India will be

having an AIDS vaccine within two years.

I do know Prof Bob Bollinger and co from Harvard have been working very hard

with NARI but I had no idea about claims of TB being sexually transmitted.

Could he be talking of the proximity in sexual relations where an infected

persons coughs or kisses an un-infected person?

I'm not sure what this is all about but it does seem alarming.

The fact that 30 per cent of HIV positive persons do get MDR TB is one big

problem but this claim seems a bit far fetched and could be cause for alarm.

Ashok Row Kavi

E-mail: <arowkavi@...>

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