Bid to curb prisons' TB epidemic

More than 22000 prisoners at Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town have been screened for tuberculosis in an attempt to contain the spread of the epidemic.

With an average of 500000 infections a year, South Africa has the third-highest TB infection rate in the world.

The number of prisoners infected with TB is estimated at 4500 of every 100000. The World Health Organisation considers 250 cases per 100000 an epidemic.

The Department of Health last year introduced the use of the GeneXpert machine at Pollsmoor prison to screen inmates showing symptoms of TB. Those who test positive are given immediate treatment.

The machine detects drug-resistant TB in a few hours compared with the six weeks it takes a laboratory.

At Pollsmoor, 22314 prisoners were given oral screenings for TB between March and December.

The 4134 prisoners with TB symptoms, such as frequent coughing, weight loss or night sweats, had their samples screened.

The 292 who had been infected with TB were put on treatment.

The director of the TB-HIV Care Association, Harry Hausler, said the TB detection time at Pollsmoor prison had gone from 6.6 days to just under two days.

"The [machine] has really helped to improve TB control. I think it's important that it is worth investing in more rapid detection because there is more transmission in a prison because they are all locked up together," said Hausler.

Health Department spokesman Joe Maila said the GeneXpert machine had since been introduced at five other prisons: St Albans in Port Elizabeth, Groenpunt in the Free State, Pretoria,Johannesburg, Durban-Westville and Barberton in Mpumalanga.

More than 2million TB specimens have been analysed since the use of the machine was introduced in March 2011.