A report that patients with Tuberculosis (TB) have early signs of HIV have broken out. The cases ranging from 5 to 15 per cent of the TB patients under the Government's Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme or RNTCP were detected when the patients volunteered to undergo the HIV test.

The status of the patients undergoing the DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course) of RNTCP, still remains vague. According to the senior official from the Health Ministry, the HIV test is not mandatory but, the government is trying to convince all the TB patients under the program to at least submit themselves to the test and see if they will be diagnosed with HIV.

The TB patients who refuse to be tested because of the blemish that it can cause, can be considered a threat to society since they can be carriers and spread out the virus.

Tuberculosis is a contagious disease that can cause fatal conditions to any part of the body, but majority of the cases affects the lungs. It is caused by bacteria named Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While HIV is a virus that mainly attacks the immune system of the body.

Normally the body has the ability to get rid of viruses, but once attacked by this kind of virus the body will not be able to do so.

Today, there is a total of 2.1 million TB patients under the DOTS programme. India has the highest rate of TB cases in the world. National Aids Control Organization's programme (NACO) wants to strengthen the campaign.

"We have found that HIV infection among TB patients was high in districts where the HIV prevalence is high in the general population." according to NACO. Prevalence is usually high between the ages of 25-44.

It is important that TB patients undergo the HIV test because early detection can prevent the worsening or fast deterioration of the condition.