What is the impact of HIV on the epidemiology of TB?
Ans. HIV fuels the TB epidemic. The rate of progression to active TB is 10 to 30 times higher among individuals infected by both TB and HIV than among those infected only with TB. This is because people with HIV infection have suppressed immunity and hence chances of reactivation of dormant TB bacilli is many fold higher in them than among those without HIV. Also, due to low immunity, natural infection may rapidly lead to TB disease. Moreover HIV infection may also contribute to an increase in drug resistance. Increased TB cases in HIV-infected people pose risk of TB transmission to others in the general community.
HIV fuels the TB epidemic. The rate of progression to active TB is 10 to 30 times higher among individuals infected by both TB and HIV than among those infected only with TB. This is because people with HIV infection have suppressed immunity and hence chances of reactivation of dormant TB bacilli is many fold higher in them than among those without HIV. Also, due to low immunity, natural infection may rapidly lead to TB disease. Moreover HIV infection may also contribute to an increase in drug resistance. Increased TB cases in HIV-infected people pose risk of TB transmission to others in the general community.
