Mumbai records over 60,000 new TB cases annually, with around 5,000 being drug-resistant, of these, 8–10% are children
Mumbai: Doctors at state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai were stunned to find a three-month-old boy suffering from drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) — without showing any of the classic symptoms. The infant, the hospital’s youngest case of this kind, was feeding well, breathing normally, and gaining weight when he was diagnosed.
The case came to light during a routine screening of household contacts after doctors began treating the infant’s mother for suspected TB. “His chest X-ray showed increased opacity typical of TB, though he had no cough, breathing difficulty, or weight loss,” said Dr Sushant Mane, associate professor and nodal officer for paediatric TB at JJ’s National Center of Excellence for TB.
The child was rushed from his home in Mumbai’s western suburbs to JJ Hospital in Byculla, where a gastric lavage confirmed he had drug-resistant TB. Interestingly, his mother’s TB test results remain inconclusive, but she has been started on treatment based on clinical signs, including a persistent cough.
The infant is now on an 18-month regimen involving newer anti-TB drugs like bedaquiline, usually reserved for complicated cases. “We pulverise the adult bedaquiline tablets at the Byculla Pharmacy and prepare individual-dose sachets. Parents mix these with water or breast milk,” explained Dr Mane.
The World Health Organization has approved protocols and dosages for drugs like bedaquiline and delamanid even in neonates. Though some countries use dispersible tablet versions, India still relies on modified adult tablets.
Two weeks after diagnosis, the child developed a cough, prompting a hospital visit. However, doctors found no complications. “He is tolerating the medicines well and continues to gain weight,” said Dr Mane. After three months, follow-up tests will determine the treatment’s effectiveness.
Mumbai records over 60,000 new TB cases annually, with around 5,000 being drug-resistant. Of these, 8–10% are children, according to BMC executive health officer Dr Daksha Shah. TB specialist Dr Vikas Oswal of Shatabdi Hospital noted that rising paediatric TB numbers are partly due to improved diagnostics. “What’s alarming is the declining age of patients. Earlier, cases under two years were rare—now we’re seeing many under one.”
Source: The Times of India
