UK blames India for rise in TB cases

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Health experts from Hyderabad have taken strong exception to the charge that Indians harbouring tuberculosis germ in its latent form are responsible for the spread of TB in the United Kingdom.

The UK is regarded as the TB capital of the world, and a team of UK-based researchers is blaming the Indians for it.

This is the third serious medical allegation against India by Lancet, a UK-based peer reviewed medical journal, in the last eight months. Two earlier studies by Lancet too had angered the medical and health authorities in the country.

They had forced the Indian Council of Medical Research to take up a comprehensive research on the superbug that was wrongly named New Delhi metallo beta lactamase.

The present Lancet study is on tuberculosis allegedly being spread by Indians visiting the UK.

“The charge is baseless and deliberate attempt to defame India. The Lancet studies have not conclusively proved that India or Indians are responsible,” said the senior biologist, Dr Duggaraju Srinivas Rao. “

“The Lancet team wants all Indians visiting the UK to be screened for latent tuberculosis though tests are not always accurate,” said the senior microbial scientist, Dr Niyaz Ahmed.