Mumbai alone reports around 60,000 TB cases annually.
Flu affects about a billion people worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organisation , with roughly 2.9 lakh to 6.5 lakh respiratory-related deaths annually.
India is estimated to have millions of flu cases caused by influenza A subtypes such as H3N2 and H1N1 (formerly swine flu) and influenza B.“There is no direct correlation between flu and TB, but any infection lowers immunity and increases vulnerability to other infections,” said chest specialist Vikas Oswal, who works with the BMC’s TB programme.
“In a crowded city like Mumbai, where transmission is easier, influenza could add to the risk, but so could any other infection.”Dr Sujeet Rajan of Bhatia Hospital said universal flu vaccination to curb TB would not be cost-effective.
The flu vaccine is best reserved for people with chronic illnesses such as asthma, COPD and diabetes, as well as those over 65,” he said, adding that awareness about the vaccine is growing because people increasingly recognise its role in preventing severe complications.
Mumbai:
Catching flu not only causes body ache and week-long fever, it can also weaken the body’s ability to contain tuberculosis (TB) and increase the risk of developing the disease, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed ‘Nature Communications’ medical journal.Using blood samples from healthy volunteers infected with influenza under controlled conditions, researchers from Imperial College London found that the virus suppresses immune pathways responsible for controlling the TB bacterium. “Our findings are the first data from human studies for a TB-influenza interaction and confirm that our immune response to one infection influences how we respond to other infections,” the researchers said.The study suggests that preventing influenza through vaccination and other public health measures could also reduce TB incidence. It calls for clinical trials to examine whether seasonal flu vaccination can lower TB risk in vulnerable populations.However, local doctors questioned the practicality of such an approach in India, where a flu vaccine costs around Rs 2,000.“A recommendation like this seems pharma-driven and offers no significant public health advantage,” said a doctor from a public hospital.India accounts for nearly 25% of the world’s TB burden and has the highest number of drug-resistant TB cases. Mumbai alone reports around 60,000 TB cases annually. Flu affects about a billion people worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organisation , with roughly 2.9 lakh to 6.5 lakh respiratory-related deaths annually. India is estimated to have millions of flu cases caused by influenza A subtypes such as H3N2 and H1N1 (formerly swine flu) and influenza B.“There is no direct correlation between flu and TB, but any infection lowers immunity and increases vulnerability to other infections,” said chest specialist Vikas Oswal, who works with the BMC’s TB programme. “In a crowded city like Mumbai, where transmission is easier, influenza could add to the risk, but so could any other infection.”Dr Sujeet Rajan of Bhatia Hospital said universal flu vaccination to curb TB would not be cost-effective. “It would be overkill. The flu vaccine is best reserved for people with chronic illnesses such as asthma, COPD and diabetes, as well as those over 65,” he said, adding that awareness about the vaccine is growing because people increasingly recognise its role in preventing severe complications.
