There has been increase in the number of tuberculosis cases in Warrap State, the state Health Minister has reported.

Over 350 people have been confirmed positive with the disease and are undergoing treatment in the hospital.

“It is unusually dry and the environment in Warrap is dusty. People living in poor condition are especially at risk of tuberculosis,” Dr. Agai Akec told Eye Radio.

He said there are still more cases unreported and health personnel are on the ground in the rural areas proving medical treatment.

“Our detection rate has increased. We have a lot of teams going to the counties to screen people, the people who are suspected of having the tuberculosis,” he added.

“And what we are doing now is, we are doing health education awareness for people who have been coughing for a long time so that they should come to the health facilities to get treatment.”

Dr. Akec also says when a person with active pulmonary TB disease does not receive treatment; they can easily contaminate more than thirty people in a year.

TB is an airborne disease that can be passed on to other person through droplets from coughing, sneezing, sharing of cups and sleeping with infected person in a room without ventilations.