Senators seeking $$$$ to combat TB

[Guest guest]

Surprise, surprise.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N05260611.htm

US senators seek jump in US TB control spending

05 Jun 2007 18:59:31 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators on Tuesday

sought $300 million in U.S. spending to combat tuberculosis while new

tests confirmed that the U.S. man at the center of an international TB

alarm is not highly infectious.

Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Kennedy of

Massachusetts and Republican Sen. Kay Hutchison of Texas

introduced legislation in the Senate to fund efforts to develop new

drugs, diagnostic tests, vaccines and other steps.

" It's possible to eradicate TB in the United States, " Brown told a

news conference.

The bill would authorize more money for the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention as well as state and local health authorities.

Another bill to increase federal TB efforts, sponsored by Democratic

Rep. Gene Green of Texas, was introduced in the House of

Representatives in March.

The Senate bill was introduced about a week after federal authorities

imposed a rare isolation order on Speaker, an Atlanta lawyer

with a hard-to-treat kind of TB after he placed fellow airline

passengers at risk of infection during May flights to and from Europe

for his wedding and honeymoon.

" The unfortunate situation of Speaker has brought the whole TB

issue a little more in focus for the Congress, " Brown said.

TB is a sometimes fatal bacterial infection usually attacking the

lungs. Annually, about 9 million people worldwide get TB and it kills

about 1.6 million people, with the highest toll in developing

countries, particularly in Africa.

The bill would authorize $300 million in TB spending in the fiscal

year that begins Oct. 1 and additional unspecified spending through

2012. The federal government currently spends about $130 million per

year on TB control efforts in the United States, Brown said.

The United States also gave $724 million this year to the Global Fund

to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which combats those diseases

globally.

TB has become less and less common in the United States, with about

14,000 TB cases reported in 2006.

Speaker is being treated at National Jewish Medical and Research

Center in Denver for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR

TB. While no more contagious than other TB strains, most antibiotics

do not work against it.

The hospital said another test indicated Speaker was not very

infectious. It said a third consecutive sputum smear test, which

assesses if there are large numbers of tuberculosis organisms in a

patient's sputum, had come back negative.

The test is considered helpful in determining how sick and how

contagious a patient is.

" Current Centers for Disease Control/American Thoracic Society

Guidelines indicate that patients on therapy with three consecutive

negative sputum smears may be regarded as non-infectious in most

settings, " the hospital said in a statement.

A subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee is due on

Wednesday to hear from CDC chief Dr. Gerberding, and a senior

official from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency during a

hearing about the government's actions relating to Speaker.

[Guest guest]

I was surprised, not too long ago, to see the term "pipeline" used in reference to the R & D of various pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines. I used to associate that term with oil and natural gas etc. Now, whenever I see governments jumping onto the pharmaceutical bandwagon at the slightest provocation, the image of that "pipeline" keeps rearing its ugly head for some reason. I can't help but wonder what the "pipeline" is delivering to those who do their utmost to keep it flowing (and that includes members of our governments), whether the rest of us really need or want what is being delivered via the "pipeline". Aasa searchingforserenity111 <searchingforserenity111@...> wrote: Surprise, surprise.http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N05260611.htmUS senators seek jump in US TB control spending05 Jun 2007 18:59:31 GMTSource: ReutersBy Will DunhamWASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators on Tuesdaysought $300 million in U.S. spending to combat tuberculosis while newtests confirmed that the U.S. man at the center of an international TBalarm is not highly infectious.Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Kennedy ofMassachusetts and Republican Sen. Kay Hutchison of Texasintroduced legislation in the Senate to fund efforts to develop newdrugs, diagnostic

tests, vaccines and other steps."It's possible to eradicate TB in the United States," Brown told anews conference.The bill would authorize more money for the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention as well as state and local health authorities.Another bill to increase federal TB efforts, sponsored by DemocraticRep. Gene Green of Texas, was introduced in the House ofRepresentatives in March.The Senate bill was introduced about a week after federal authoritiesimposed a rare isolation order on Speaker, an Atlanta lawyerwith a hard-to-treat kind of TB after he placed fellow airlinepassengers at risk of infection during May flights to and from Europefor his wedding and honeymoon."The unfortunate situation of Speaker has brought the whole TBissue a little more in focus for the Congress," Brown said.TB is a sometimes fatal bacterial infection usually attacking thelungs. Annually,

about 9 million people worldwide get TB and it killsabout 1.6 million people, with the highest toll in developingcountries, particularly in Africa.The bill would authorize $300 million in TB spending in the fiscalyear that begins Oct. 1 and additional unspecified spending through2012. The federal government currently spends about $130 million peryear on TB control efforts in the United States, Brown said.The United States also gave $724 million this year to the Global Fundto Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which combats those diseasesglobally.TB has become less and less common in the United States, with about14,000 TB cases reported in 2006.Speaker is being treated at National Jewish Medical and ResearchCenter in Denver for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDRTB. While no more contagious than other TB strains, most antibioticsdo not work against it.The hospital said another

test indicated Speaker was not veryinfectious. It said a third consecutive sputum smear test, whichassesses if there are large numbers of tuberculosis organisms in apatient's sputum, had come back negative.The test is considered helpful in determining how sick and howcontagious a patient is."Current Centers for Disease Control/American Thoracic SocietyGuidelines indicate that patients on therapy with three consecutivenegative sputum smears may be regarded as non-infectious in mostsettings," the hospital said in a statement.A subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee is due onWednesday to hear from CDC chief Dr. Gerberding, and a seniorofficial from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency during ahearing about the government's actions relating to Speaker.

[Guest guest]

So they are going to spend over $21K a year, per infected person in the US? That's insane. Does anyone know how much the spend on autism per person, per year?

Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Travel.

[Guest guest]

Kind of makes one wonder if the whole TB thing was cooked up to justify

a 300 million dollar gift to pharma and the cdc(parttime pharma

consultants)

>

> So they are going to spend over $21K a year, per infected person in

the US? That's insane. Does anyone know how much the spend on autism

per person, per year?

>

> ---------------------------------

> Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Travel.

>

[Guest guest]

Which makes the entire TB scare a poorly-planned media hoax.

>

> Surprise, surprise.

>

> http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N05260611.htm

> US senators seek jump in US TB control spending

> 05 Jun 2007 18:59:31 GMT

> Source: Reuters

>

> By Will Dunham

>

> WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators on Tuesday

> sought $300 million in U.S. spending to combat tuberculosis while

new

> tests confirmed that the U.S. man at the center of an international

TB

> alarm is not highly infectious.

>

> Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Kennedy of

> Massachusetts and Republican Sen. Kay Hutchison of Texas

> introduced legislation in the Senate to fund efforts to develop new

> drugs, diagnostic tests, vaccines and other steps.

>

> " It's possible to eradicate TB in the United States, " Brown told a

> news conference.

>

> The bill would authorize more money for the Centers for Disease

> Control and Prevention as well as state and local health

authorities.

> Another bill to increase federal TB efforts, sponsored by Democratic

> Rep. Gene Green of Texas, was introduced in the House of

> Representatives in March.

>

> The Senate bill was introduced about a week after federal

authorities

> imposed a rare isolation order on Speaker, an Atlanta lawyer

> with a hard-to-treat kind of TB after he placed fellow airline

> passengers at risk of infection during May flights to and from

Europe

> for his wedding and honeymoon.

>

> " The unfortunate situation of Speaker has brought the whole

TB

> issue a little more in focus for the Congress, " Brown said.

>

> TB is a sometimes fatal bacterial infection usually attacking the

> lungs. Annually, about 9 million people worldwide get TB and it

kills

> about 1.6 million people, with the highest toll in developing

> countries, particularly in Africa.

>

> The bill would authorize $300 million in TB spending in the fiscal

> year that begins Oct. 1 and additional unspecified spending through

> 2012. The federal government currently spends about $130 million per

> year on TB control efforts in the United States, Brown said.

>

> The United States also gave $724 million this year to the Global

Fund

> to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which combats those

diseases

> globally.

>

> TB has become less and less common in the United States, with about

> 14,000 TB cases reported in 2006.

>

> Speaker is being treated at National Jewish Medical and Research

> Center in Denver for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR

> TB. While no more contagious than other TB strains, most antibiotics

> do not work against it.

>

> The hospital said another test indicated Speaker was not very

> infectious. It said a third consecutive sputum smear test, which

> assesses if there are large numbers of tuberculosis organisms in a

> patient's sputum, had come back negative.

>

> The test is considered helpful in determining how sick and how

> contagious a patient is.

>

> " Current Centers for Disease Control/American Thoracic Society

> Guidelines indicate that patients on therapy with three consecutive

> negative sputum smears may be regarded as non-infectious in most

> settings, " the hospital said in a statement.

>

> A subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee is due on

> Wednesday to hear from CDC chief Dr. Gerberding, and a senior

> official from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency during a

> hearing about the government's actions relating to Speaker.

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, people weren't paying attention if they didn't see this coming.

Stay tuned......

> >

> > Surprise, surprise.

> >

> > http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N05260611.htm

> > US senators seek jump in US TB control spending

> > 05 Jun 2007 18:59:31 GMT

> > Source: Reuters

> >

> > By Will Dunham

> >

> > WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators on Tuesday

> > sought $300 million in U.S. spending to combat tuberculosis while

> new

> > tests confirmed that the U.S. man at the center of an international

> TB

> > alarm is not highly infectious.

> >

> > Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Kennedy of

> > Massachusetts and Republican Sen. Kay Hutchison of Texas

> > introduced legislation in the Senate to fund efforts to develop new

> > drugs, diagnostic tests, vaccines and other steps.

> >

> > " It's possible to eradicate TB in the United States, " Brown told a

> > news conference.

> >

> > The bill would authorize more money for the Centers for Disease

> > Control and Prevention as well as state and local health

> authorities.

> > Another bill to increase federal TB efforts, sponsored by Democratic

> > Rep. Gene Green of Texas, was introduced in the House of

> > Representatives in March.

> >

> > The Senate bill was introduced about a week after federal

> authorities

> > imposed a rare isolation order on Speaker, an Atlanta lawyer

> > with a hard-to-treat kind of TB after he placed fellow airline

> > passengers at risk of infection during May flights to and from

> Europe

> > for his wedding and honeymoon.

> >

> > " The unfortunate situation of Speaker has brought the whole

> TB

> > issue a little more in focus for the Congress, " Brown said.

> >

> > TB is a sometimes fatal bacterial infection usually attacking the

> > lungs. Annually, about 9 million people worldwide get TB and it

> kills

> > about 1.6 million people, with the highest toll in developing

> > countries, particularly in Africa.

> >

> > The bill would authorize $300 million in TB spending in the fiscal

> > year that begins Oct. 1 and additional unspecified spending through

> > 2012. The federal government currently spends about $130 million per

> > year on TB control efforts in the United States, Brown said.

> >

> > The United States also gave $724 million this year to the Global

> Fund

> > to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which combats those

> diseases

> > globally.

> >

> > TB has become less and less common in the United States, with about

> > 14,000 TB cases reported in 2006.

> >

> > Speaker is being treated at National Jewish Medical and Research

> > Center in Denver for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR

> > TB. While no more contagious than other TB strains, most antibiotics

> > do not work against it.

> >

> > The hospital said another test indicated Speaker was not very

> > infectious. It said a third consecutive sputum smear test, which

> > assesses if there are large numbers of tuberculosis organisms in a

> > patient's sputum, had come back negative.

> >

> > The test is considered helpful in determining how sick and how

> > contagious a patient is.

> >

> > " Current Centers for Disease Control/American Thoracic Society

> > Guidelines indicate that patients on therapy with three consecutive

> > negative sputum smears may be regarded as non-infectious in most

> > settings, " the hospital said in a statement.

> >

> > A subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee is due on

> > Wednesday to hear from CDC chief Dr. Gerberding, and a senior

> > official from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency during a

> > hearing about the government's actions relating to Speaker.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Spit and sputum in all their faces. maurinesearchingforserenity111 <searchingforserenity111@...> wrote: Yes, people weren't paying attention if they didn't see this coming.Stay tuned......> >> > Surprise, surprise.> > > > http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N05260611.htm> > US senators seek jump in US TB control spending> > 05 Jun 2007 18:59:31 GMT> > Source: Reuters> > > > By Will Dunham> > > > WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators on Tuesday> > sought $300 million in U.S. spending to combat tuberculosis while > new> > tests confirmed that the U.S. man at the center of an international > TB> > alarm is not highly infectious.> > > > Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Kennedy of> > Massachusetts and Republican Sen. Kay Hutchison of Texas> > introduced

legislation in the Senate to fund efforts to develop new> > drugs, diagnostic tests, vaccines and other steps.> > > > "It's possible to eradicate TB in the United States," Brown told a> > news conference.> > > > The bill would authorize more money for the Centers for Disease> > Control and Prevention as well as state and local health > authorities.> > Another bill to increase federal TB efforts, sponsored by Democratic> > Rep. Gene Green of Texas, was introduced in the House of> > Representatives in March.> > > > The Senate bill was introduced about a week after federal > authorities> > imposed a rare isolation order on Speaker, an Atlanta lawyer> > with a hard-to-treat kind of TB after he placed fellow airline> > passengers at risk of infection during May flights to and from > Europe> >

for his wedding and honeymoon.> > > > "The unfortunate situation of Speaker has brought the whole > TB> > issue a little more in focus for the Congress," Brown said.> > > > TB is a sometimes fatal bacterial infection usually attacking the> > lungs. Annually, about 9 million people worldwide get TB and it > kills> > about 1.6 million people, with the highest toll in developing> > countries, particularly in Africa.> > > > The bill would authorize $300 million in TB spending in the fiscal> > year that begins Oct. 1 and additional unspecified spending through> > 2012. The federal government currently spends about $130 million per> > year on TB control efforts in the United States, Brown said.> > > > The United States also gave $724 million this year to the Global > Fund> > to Fight AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria, which combats those > diseases> > globally.> > > > TB has become less and less common in the United States, with about> > 14,000 TB cases reported in 2006.> > > > Speaker is being treated at National Jewish Medical and Research> > Center in Denver for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR> > TB. While no more contagious than other TB strains, most antibiotics> > do not work against it.> > > > The hospital said another test indicated Speaker was not very> > infectious. It said a third consecutive sputum smear test, which> > assesses if there are large numbers of tuberculosis organisms in a> > patient's sputum, had come back negative.> > > > The test is considered helpful in determining how sick and how> > contagious a patient is.> > > > "Current

Centers for Disease Control/American Thoracic Society> > Guidelines indicate that patients on therapy with three consecutive> > negative sputum smears may be regarded as non-infectious in most> > settings," the hospital said in a statement.> > > > A subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee is due on> > Wednesday to hear from CDC chief Dr. Gerberding, and a senior> > official from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency during a> > hearing about the government's actions relating to Speaker.> >>

Get the toolbar and be alerted to new email wherever you're surfing.

[Guest guest]

It was never a question of whether, it was always a question of what and when.

Re: Re: Senators seeking $$$$ to combat TB

Spit and sputum in all their faces.

maurinesearchingforserenity111 <searchingforserenity111 > wrote:

Yes, people weren't paying attention if they didn't see this coming.Stay tuned......> >> > Surprise, surprise.> > > > http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N05260611.htm> > US senators seek jump in US TB control spending> > 05 Jun 2007 18:59:31 GMT> > Source: Reuters> > > > By Will Dunham> > > > WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators on Tuesday> > sought $300 million in U.S. spending to combat tuberculosis while > new> > tests confirmed that the U.S. man at the center of an international > TB> > alarm is not highly infectious.> > > > Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Kennedy of> > Massachusetts and Republican Sen. Kay Hutchison of Texas> > introduced legislation in the Senate to fund efforts to develop new> > drugs, diagnostic tests, vaccines and other steps.> > > > "It's possible to eradicate TB in the United States," Brown told a> > news conference.> > > > The bill would authorize more money for the Centers for Disease> > Control and Prevention as well as state and local health > authorities.> > Another bill to increase federal TB efforts, sponsored by Democratic> > Rep. Gene Green of Texas, was introduced in the House of> > Representatives in March.> > > > The Senate bill was introduced about a week after federal > authorities> > imposed a rare isolation order on Speaker, an Atlanta lawyer> > with a hard-to-treat kind of TB after he placed fellow airline> > passengers at risk of infection during May flights to and from > Europe> > for his wedding and honeymoon.> > > > "The unfortunate situation of Speaker has brought the whole > TB> > issue a little more in focus for the Congress," Brown said.> > > > TB is a sometimes fatal bacterial infection usually attacking the> > lungs. Annually, about 9 million people worldwide get TB and it > kills> > about 1.6 million people, with the highest toll in developing> > countries, particularly in Africa.> > > > The bill would authorize $300 million in TB spending in the fiscal> > year that begins Oct. 1 and additional unspecified spending through> > 2012. The federal government currently spends about $130 million per> > year on TB control efforts in the United States, Brown said.> > > > The United States also gave $724 million this year to the Global > Fund> > to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which combats those > diseases> > globally.> > > > TB has become less and less common in the United States, with about> > 14,000 TB cases reported in 2006.> > > > Speaker is being treated at National Jewish Medical and Research> > Center in Denver for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR> > TB. While no more contagious than other TB strains, most antibiotics> > do not work against it.> > > > The hospital said another test indicated Speaker was not very> > infectious. It said a third consecutive sputum smear test, which> > assesses if there are large numbers of tuberculosis organisms in a> > patient's sputum, had come back negative.> > > > The test is considered helpful in determining how sick and how> > contagious a patient is.> > > > "Current Centers for Disease Control/American Thoracic Society> > Guidelines indicate that patients on therapy with three consecutive> > negative sputum smears may be regarded as non-infectious in most> > settings," the hospital said in a statement.> > > > A subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee is due on> > Wednesday to hear from CDC chief Dr. Gerberding, and a senior> > official from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency during a> > hearing about the government's actions relating to Speaker.> >>

Get the toolbar and be alerted to new email wherever you're surfing.