Southeastern National
Tuberculosis Center
Reunion de Control de Infeccion de la TB
Ciudad de Mexico
10 Agosto 2009
What is the SNTC?
Southeastern National TB Center
• One of four Regional Training and Medical Consultation
Centers (RTMCC) in the US.
• RTMCCs are funded by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), Division of Tuberculosis
Elimination.
• The four centers are:
– Curry National TB Center – California
– Heartland TB Center – Texas
– Global Tuberculosis Institute (GTBI) – New Jersey
– Southeastern National TB Center – Florida
Southeastern National TB Center
 The SNTC supports the education and training missions
of TB programs throughout the region and provides a
source of expert medical consultation for healthcare
providers caring for TB patients and technical assistance
for all TB program personnel.
 Our region consists of
11 southeastern states,
Puerto Rico, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Southeastern National TB Center
 Established in 2005 as a collaboration between
 University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville
 A.G. Holley State (Tuberculosis) Hospital
 Florida Department of Health, Bureau of TB and
Refugee Health
 CDC funded RTMCC focuses on domestic TB Programs
SNTC Gainesville Office
SNTC Clinical Training Campus
A.G. Holley TB Hospital
SNTC Training Offerings
• Courses
– Comprehensive Clinical TB Course and Clinical Updates
– TB Program Management
– Contact Investigation Skills
– Corrections
– TST Train-the-Trainer
– Cultural Competency
• Webinars
• Mini Fellowship Opportunities
Spanish Language Capacity
• With Puerto Rico in our region, Spanish language
skills, translated documents and tools are essential
– Five bi-lingual staff
• Dr. Lauzardo
• Dr. Hamsho-Diaz – Coordinator of Special Projects
• Ms. Ottenwess – Health Educator/Training Specialist
– Focus on translation of existing critical materials and
development of patient educational materials for the
Spanish-speaking population
¡Vivir a Todo Pulmón!
A Multimedia Toolkit
TST Caliper
In English and Spanish
Spanish Translations
Country Guides
Country Guides Currently Available…
Guides of Most Relevance…
Common Misperceptions: Etiology of Tuberculosis
Mexico, India, Vietnam, Philippines
India, Vietnam, Philippines
 Smoking
 Excessive Stress / Worry / Anxiety
 Drinking alcohol
 Not eating nutritious foods / malnutrition
 Genetic inheritance / passed through
generations of families
 Physical exertion or hard work
 Poor sanitation or hygiene / dirty housing
 Disruptions in the body’s hot / cold balance
(causes vary)
Mexico, Philippines
 A cough (due to a cold or bronchitis) that
was not treated and developed into a
serious disease
Note: While TB is associated with malnutrition, poverty/overcrowded living conditions, individuals
view these factors as the direct cause (or etiological agent) of TB disease.
Mexico
India
Vietnam
 Inhaling ashes, dust
or smoke
 Sexual promiscuity
 Fate or karma
 Polluted / dusty
environments
 Bewitchment
 God’s curse
 Supernatural causes
 An evil soul or evil spirit
 Contaminated water
 Lack of sleep/fatigue
 God’s Decision
The Philippines
 Frequent
pregnancies
Common Misperceptions: Transmission of Tuberculosis
Mexico, India, Vietnam, Philippines
 Sharing items with a TB patient.
Examples: Eating utensils, blankets, bed sheets, towels or drinking from the same bottle or glass.
Mexico
 Shaking hands
with a TB patient.
 Sexual relations
with an infected
person.
India
Vietnam
The Philippines
 Social contact
 Spitting
 Touching a person with TB
 Heredity
 From mother to child
during pregnancy
 Sexual Intercourse
 Bad genes
 Drinking Water
 Blood Transfusion
 Children cannot have TB,
the illness only affects
adults.
Misperceptions: Diagnostic Testing
Mexico
 Routine
blood draws
can drain a
person of
energy.
India
Vietnam
No misperceptions  X-rays kill blood
related to
cells and causes a
diagnostic testing
patient to become
found in the
tired or turns the
literature.
skin yellow.
 The body has a
finite amount of
blood, and the
withdrawal of blood
causes an
irreversible
decrease in the
body’s supply.
The Philippines
 X-rays will cause a
person to become
sterile or develop
cancer.
 The results of an x-ray
can be affected by a
person’s diet.
Examples:
 Drinking a cup of milk
will result in a
“negative” chest x-ray
 Drinking vinegar will
cause an x-ray to be
blurry.
Contact Information
Michael Lauzardo, MD, MSc
lauzam@medicine.ufl.edu
Donna Hope Wegener, MA
donna.wegener@medicine.ufl.edu
http://sntc.medicine.ufl.edu