There are 3646 tuberculosis (TB) cases in Saudi Arabia (15.6 cases out of 100,000 persons) according to a report from the Information Center of the Ministry of Health. The report said that TB is the most widely spread disease in the country affecting Saudis more than non-Saudis. Infections occur primarily in people between the ages of 15 and 44. Jeddah is at the top of the list of infected cities, followed by Riyadh with Qurayyat having the least number of people suffering from TB. Professor Mohammad Al-Hajaj, a specialist in infectious diseases, explained that TB infects humans and animals, especially cows. He also said that the disease does not only affect the lungs, but also other parts of the body, such as, the bowels, lymph glands, joints, skin and the reproductive systems in both sexes. “TB is a curable disease with the treatment being well known and available around the world,” he said. However, he warned that incomplete treatment is worse than no treatment at all, because if an infected person stops the prescribed medicine, he will be more likely to become infected again with another type of TB which is drug resistant.
