Medicine: Total Push Against TB

Tuberculosis, the nation’s greatest killer only a half-century ago, taking 150,000 lives annually, can be wiped out for all practical purposes within the next few years. Convinced that this goal is achievable, the National Tuberculosis Association last week announced plans (made in conjunction with the U.S. Public Health Service) for a final, all-out campaign against TB.

The striking drop in TB mortality in the last few years (to about 12,000 in 1959) has been brought about by treatment with one or more of three wonder drugs: streptomycin (1944), para-amino-salicylic acid or PAS (1944) and isoniazid (1951). Eradication of the disease depends on full use of drugs, following aggressive case finding. There are now 400,000 known TB victims in the U.S. (150,000 with active disease), and an estimated additional 400,000 who have escaped detection.

There is no time to lose, said the Rockefeller Institute’s famed Microbiologist Rene Dubos. Reason: the nation’s general health and health care were never better, and skillful use of drug combinations has kept resistant tubercle bacilli down to manageable proportions. But delay could be fatal, by giving time for resistant strains to get out of hand. “In 20 years,” said Dr. Dubos, “it will be too late. It’s now or never.”