Exciting New Pandemic Makes SARS Look Like Flu

From the Guardian: The dilemma of a deadly disease: patients may be forcibly detained.

The country's health department says it has discussed with the World Health Organisation and South Africa's leading medical organisations the possibility of placing carriers of extreme drug resistant TB or XDR-TB under guard in isolation wards until they die, but has yet to reach a decision.

More than 300 cases of the highly infectious disease, which is spread by airborne droplets and kills 98% of those infected within about two weeks, have been identified in South Africa.

But doctors believe there have been hundreds, possibly thousands, more and the numbers are growing among the millions of people with HIV, who are particularly vulnerable to the disease. Their fear is that patients with XDR-TB, told that there is little that can be done for them, will leave the isolation wards and go home to die. But while they are still walking around they risk spreading the infection.

Excuse me? TWO WEEKS?! 98% Lethal?! Charming. Sounds like some kind of 12 Monkeys, sci-fi, apocalyptic plotline. Good thing the entire world is descending upon South Africa in three years for the next World Cup.