Diabetes – Tuberculosis link found in Australia

A 20-year study by scientist at the James Cook University (JCU) in Queensland, Australia, has found a strong link between diabetes and tuberculosis (TB) in tropical Australia. Previous studies in have already demonstrated this link but those studies had been only conducted in developing countries. The Australian study found that patients with diabetes were seven times more likely to develop TB than the general population. However, TB can be latent for a long time. The study finds support for screening of patients with diabetes for latent TB.

Currently, the scientists at JCU are developing experimental models that will enable them to study the interaction between the bacteria that cause TB and immune cells with similar properties to those from patients with diabetes.

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