Dr. Lázaro Collazo. Photo: Arletys González / RA
World Day Against Tuberculosis is an opportunity to raise awareness among the population on preventive measures. On the occasion of the date, I visited the Emergency Service of Polyclinic No. 1 in Ariguanabo. There I discovered Dr. Lázaro Collazo, who agreed to the following interview.
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is an infectious-contagious disease, produced by the Microbacterium Tuberculosis or Koch's Bacillus. It is one of the most serious infectious diseases that affects millions of people in the world, especially in developing countries, because they have a very close link with underdevelopment, poverty, malnutrition and illiteracy.
How is tuberculosis transmitted?
Tuberculosis is spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs. By coughing, the air is expelled with the germs of the disease, so a healthy person can get tuberculosis; that is why pulmonary tuberculosis is the most frequent disease in the whole world.
Which are the most vulnerable groups to this disease?
The most vulnerable groups are children, people who live in overcrowding, those who suffer from malnutrition, alcoholics, those who have immunosuppressive diseases, such as HIV / AIDS.
What are the hygienic-sanitary and epidemiological measures established to prevent tuberculosis?
First: understand and apply hygienic-epidemiological measures; second: access to the health and education system; third: avoid risk factors, malnutrition, smoking, alcoholism, as well as immunodepressive diseases such as HIV-AIDS.
We must avoid all these risks, since they facilitate the infection and the spread of the disease; in addition, each patient must respect the treatment.
