Wall Street Journal looks at European efforts to fight TB

The Wall Street Journal examines efforts to fight tuberculosis (TB) in Europe, writing, "All along the edges of Western Europe, new and hard-to-defeat strains of tuberculosis are gaining a foothold, often moving beyond traditional victims -- alcoholics, drug users, HIV patients -- and into the wider population." The article focuses on the efforts of Estonia to turn the tide against multidrug-resistant TB, saying the country's success "offers one of the few bright spots globally as the ancient plague mutates into new and more deadly forms." The newspaper continues, "Indeed, experts say the country, with half the population of Chicago, could be a model for others. But there is one catch: It takes years and some pricey treatments just to gain the upper hand" (Naik, 12/31).