High infection rates of tuberculosis among aboriginal groups in Montreal

Tuberculosis (TB), considered by many Canadians to be a forgotten disease, is alive and well in high-risk aboriginal communities Montreal. According to the work of researchers at McGill University, the prevalence of latent TB infection among this group is high, nearly 18 per cent as compared to 4.3 per cent in the rest of the population. Their results will be published in the journal . Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease. Like the common cold, it spreads through the air. When infectious people cough, sneeze, talk or spit, they propel TB germs, known as bacilli, into the air. "While tuberculosis has been nearly eradicated in the non-aboriginal population in Canada, high rates of infection persist among some aboriginal people, especially those who are vulnerable, marginalized and as a result have poor access to health care," says Mary Ellen Macdonald, a professor of Oral Health and Society in the Faculty of Dentistry.