Tuberculosis on the rise in France

PARIS, May 25 (UPI) -- Tuberculosis is making a comeback in France, where doctors say they are concerned about the growing number of cases in the country in recent years.

While most cases are treated in pulmonology hospital wards, France's one remaining TB sanatorium in Paris is still operating and not likely to be closed any time soon, Radio France Internationale reported Wednesday.

At the Petit Fontainebleau sanatorium where more than 60 patients are being treated, some have developed drug-resistant TB, which is hard to cure, RFI reported.

"This type of TB is difficult to treat because it needs other drugs which are less tolerated," Dr. Mathilde Jachym said, and "we have to give patients this drug for a long time."

In the 1980s many health experts thought TB would disappear in France thanks to better living conditions and medicine, but there has been a slight increase in the number of cases in the 21st century, doctors said.

Tuberculosis is linked to poor living conditions, Jachym said.

"People who have social problems tend to postpone going to the doctor," she said. "So tuberculosis can grow and grow. And when they come to the doctor, they often have developed very severe case of tuberculosis."

Maka Traore, a Petit Fontainebleau patient from Mali, is an undocumented worker and said he is not looking forward to leaving the sanatorium.

"I don't have a home and I don't have any work," he said. "I wanted to work here to send money to my family back home. It's very difficult to find work."