News desk - Findings from the WHO's 6th annual report on global TB control-This report states that around 70% of TB cases still remain undetected and that expanding directly-observed treatments (DOTs) in endemic countries, together with a huge cash injection are needed if the targets for global TB control are going to be reached.
News feature - "Russia learns to cope with tuberculosis" looks at the problems and challenges the country faces in a time when a coherent TB policy is urgently needed to stop the disease sweeping through the population at the current rate.
Personal view - Problems and solutions for the STOP TB partnership. Sally Blower (University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine) and Chuck Daly (University of California San Francisco) discuss why the goals of the STOP TB movement for 2005 will not be achieved by the current control efforts; they recommend strategies on how the targets will be reached.
Leading edge - Sex matters for tuberculosis control. A much under-reported issue on the impact of sex on this disease. Almost 1 billion women and girls are infected with tuberculosis worldwide, a 70% excess of male over female TB cases are reported globally each year and the case fatality rate is much higher in women than men. The editorial discusses the possible reasons for this disparity and explores the social, economic, and physical impact the disease has on women in the developing world. The editorial reminds us that we must not neglect basic research into the prevalence and epidemiology of TB if we are to stand a chance against this debilitating disease.
Rabies re-examined
With around 50 000 people dieing from rabies every year, this disease is a major public-health problem. Charles E Rupprect from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA, and colleagues describe the epidemiology and diagnosis of this viral zoonosis. Current medical emphasis relies heavily on prevention of exposure and intervention before clinical onset. The authors discuss the current preventative measures and the ways of controlling if not eliminating this disease, in the absence of a cure. A companion review of the neurological aspects of rabies appears in the June issue of The Lancet Neurology.
Other reviews:
Update on Kaposi's sarcoma
Therapeutic vaccination against chronic viral infections
Hospital-acquired legionellosis: solutions for a preventable infection
Journal
The Lancet Infectious Diseases