Tuberculosis is on the rise in Nunavik with eight communities reporting cases, the regional health board said on Monday.
TB is present in eight of Nunavik’s 14 communities, four of which are experiencing active outbreaks, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services spokesperson Kathleen Poulin said in an email to Nunatsiaq News.
In 2023, 81 cases of TB were reported to the health board.
That’s up from July, when the board reported 58 active cases in six communities, five of which were experiencing outbreaks.
The board would not say which communities have outbreaks due to people experiencing stigmatization related to the disease.
The increased number of cases is due, in part, to the increase in community screening clinics that have been ongoing since the summer.
“The more screenings there are, the more cases are found,” Poulin said.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was not possible to carry out planned screening activities, led to a decrease in the number of cases in 2020-21.
When screenings resumed in 2022, the number of cases also went up.
“All communities are always considered at risk. Attending a screening when there is one in one’s community is the way to go to protect yourself and the community,” Poulin said.
TB is a bacterial infection with symptoms such as a lingering cough, fever or nights sweats, chest pains when breathing, coughing up blood, malaise or a loss of appetite.
The disease is treatable with medication and the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine — often known by its abbreviation, BCG vaccine — helps protect infants against the severe consequences of TB.
In communities where TB is circulating more widely, Nunavik’s health board is conducting more intensive targeted screening among certain groups and conducting extensive community-wide screening campaigns.
Poulin urged people in Nunavik to get screened for TB when clinics are set up in their community.
“When tuberculosis is identified and treated early, it has little impact on the body and reduces the risk of spreading to loved ones. Come to the screenings to get tested,” she said.
