TB transmission: What is the risk in community settings?
Tracks
Meeting Room 1.61 - 1.62
| Wednesday, July 2, 2025 |
| 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM |
Overview
Speaker: Dr Nectarios Papavarnas
Speaker
Dr Nectarios Papavarnavas
University of Cape Town
TB transmission: What is the risk in community settings
Abstract
Stopping the spread of tuberculosis is not just about treating the individual — it’s about protecting families, communities, and future generations. As healthcare workers, we play a critical role in guiding patients and their families on how to break the chain of transmission. Simple measures like wearing masks, using isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) for close contacts, and improving ventilation in homes and public transport can make a difference in curbing the spread of TB. Furthermore, maybe it’s time we ask—do TB patients really need two weeks of treatment before they stop being infectious, or could it be shorter?
Biography
Dr Tari Papavarnavas completed his medical degree at the University of Pretoria and trained in General Internal Medicine and subsequently in Infectious Diseases at the University of Cape Town. He was appointed as an Infectious Diseases sub-specialist in the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at UCT in 2022. He is the head of the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) service at Groote Schuur Hospital, and in partnership with IPC nurses, Occupational Health practitioners, and ward liaisons, he aims to build a comprehensive IPC program.
Tari is also the director of the Cape Town GeoSentinel Travel Surveillance Network Site, which surveys travellers from South Africa and those visiting from abroad who act as sentinels for emerging and re-emerging infections
