Tuberculosis no longer a poor man's disease

The notion that TB is diagnosed among lower-income groups does not hold true any longer, as many TB patients in Mumbai now come from higher income groups also.

According to Dr Lalit Anande, Superintend of Sewree TB Hospital, "People with poor immune system get affected by TB. Now, more people from higher income groups are into junk food; the unhealthy diet is weakening their immune system. This makes them more prone to infections, which explains the rise in the number of TB patients, too."

According to the central government's TB India Report 2018, India saw 18,27,959 TB patients in 2017, of which 1,92,458 were from Maharashtra. Mumbai saw 45,675 TB patients in 2017, and the average rise in TB patients in Mumbai is 30 per cent every year.

As per the report, areas in Mumbai that notified the highest number of TB patients were Andheri East and West, Dadar, Parel, Ghatkopar, Malad, Sion, and Navi Mumbai (which has high floating population).

Dr Anande added, "Earlier, people from higher income groups used to spend on quality food, which kept their immune system strong. But now, more people have started eating out, and avoid home-cooked food, which has made them more prone to contracting infections. The best and only way to avoid TB is to eat healthy to strengthen one's immunity."

Dr Daksha Shah, BMC Health Officer, TB, said, "In the past few years, there has been a rise in TB patients from higher income groups. The notion that only Mumbai's slums have TB patients is not correct. TB is highly-infectious and spreads through air. Coming in physical contact with TB patients can infect one; sometimes the food can be contaminated with TB bacteria, too. Diabetes also is on drastic rise in the upper class, which is again a result of decreased immunity. This makes them more prone to getting affected by TB. Pulmonary TB is most common among higher income groups," Dr Shah added.

Hakim Kapasi, President of Chemist Association, North Mumbai, said, "The higher income group mostly orders medicines online. This is to avoid facing the chemists and get treated privately. It is difficult to keep a track on such patients and their treatment success rate."