The president of the Venezuelan Society of Infectious Diseases, Manuel Enrique Figuera Esparza, explained that overcrowding, lack of hygiene and different types of infections contribute to the proliferation of tuberculosis in the country, especially in prisons.
“By having multiple people in unsuitable conditions and just under circumstances where different types of infectious problems can proliferate. In detention centers there are also other infections that proliferate (…) there are NGOs that have denounced tuberculosis, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and other problems that are affecting people deprived of liberty, “he explained.
Figuera pointed out that the living conditions of the citizen are worrying, because the lack of access to vaccination coverage is very wide.
In addition, he stressed that cases of tuberculosis are not being diagnosed, since there are people who are infected and do not know they have the disease.
“Unfortunately, microbiology and bacteriology laboratories are non-existent in the country, as are X-rays. We have people with tuberculosis who are not diagnosed.”