On the battle front
Friday, 27 August 2010 
TB bacilli (red) seen through microscope. Photo © Basil Rolandsen (bouvetmedia.com)32 yr old lady with massive lobulated indurated liver, multiple “metastatic” lung lesions (as per Mercy consultants), and extremely painful swollen proximal humerus… after 8 days of TB treatment is resting well, eating a full plate of food, and no diaphoresis… strike one!
young Timorese woman mother of 4, sputum smear positive, tb tretment category I – failed… category II – failed… sensitivities from Australia – MDR-TB – first patient ever in ET begun on WHO category IV: kanamycin, ofloxacin, cycloserine, and ethionamide – this week's sputum: for the first time in nearly 2 years… NEGATIVE!! strike two!!
coordinated plan consolidated… structure now completed… contacts all in place… implementation initiated in three villages… this is grassroots community-based TB monitors… kudos to all those involved – Portugal, East Timor, US, Norway, Australia… strike three!!!
Forever vigilant.
Dr Dan Murphy is the head physician at Bairo Pite Clinic