TB infection concerns arise after comedian Minowa hospitalized

Wednesday 08th April, 05:11 AM JST

TOKYO —

The hospitalization last week of popular female comedian Haruka Minowa for lung tuberculosis has raised concerns in Tokyo that those who came into contact with her might be infected. The diagnosis prompted the Tokyo metropolitan government to urge those who were in close proximity to the 29-year-old comedian during performances at TV stations and theaters and on other occasions since December to consult with their local health authorities.

Minowa and Haruna Kondo, 26, form the popular comedy duo Harisenbon. Minowa was admitted to a Tokyo hospital Friday, according to the government and Yoshimoto Creative Agency Co, to which she belongs. Minowa will have to stay in hospital for two months for treatment for tuberculosis, they said. Yoshimoto said in a statement that some members of the audience at the duo’s performances between Dec 1 and April 3 might have been infected with the disease.

Kyodo News Service

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Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

neverknow2 at 11:23 AM JST - 8th April

And, where did she get it?

Probably from another dirty bugger that does not cover their mouth when they cough. Just like ancient times, the Japanese have not learned this one yet.
Starviking at 11:23 AM JST - 8th April

@It's been proven the TB vaccine doesn't work.

Really? The fact that this is such an unusual event would indicate the opposite.
cadmium at 11:29 AM JST - 8th April

Wow, surprising news, I often see the pair on TV. Two months is a long time to be off air. I wonder if the overweight one at risk of heart disease can still appear on TV in the meantime.
timorborder at 11:39 AM JST - 8th April

Here is what I know about TB (based on my experiences as a "bush doctor" in the Australian Army Special Forces). I will try and be brief.

TB is a chronicaly infectious disease caused by a microbacteria. It is transmitted by infectious people coughing, sneezing, etc. It mainly attacks the lungs (as pulmonary TB), but it can also get at the nervous system.

In terms of treatment, TB needs to be treated over a long period of time. Popular drugs used to rifampicin and isoniazid. These days, however, drug resitant TB is making a come back.

On a personal note, I saw some cases of TB in Africa in the late 1980s, I remember the patients we saw having a horrendous cough and suffering from severe loss in body weight (one of the reasons that TB used to be called consumption - patients seem to literally consume themselves in trying to fight off the infection). All in all, not a very nice disease.
PaulieWalnuts at 11:51 AM JST - 8th April

yeah wikipedia said almost exactly the same thing word for word
kwatt at 12:53 PM JST - 8th April

Tuberculosis is coming back strongly although it was all gone once. Mostly Japanese are supposed to have its vaccine when they are children. I've heard that the vaccine is effective for less 20 years. So after 20 years majority of people's immunity are too weak to kill the microbacteria of tuburculosis, so it is maybe better to take vaccine again around age of 30. We had better not get close to those who are coughing and having high fever for weeks, but similar symptom as regular cold. We can't see difference on the beginning. Be careful about it.
Ninjazilla at 01:27 PM JST - 8th April

I hope she is OK they are actually mildly amusing.
BurakuminDes at 02:09 PM JST - 8th April

I hope she is OK too. She always seems like a seriously unhealthy individual, which possibly made her susceptible to TB? It seems all Asian nations - even the rich ones - are still experiencing levels of TB, which is alarming.
timorborder at 02:34 PM JST - 8th April

TB is not just an Asian problem. As I wrote earlier, I saw a fair bit of it in Africa back in the late 1980s. Some work has also been done on linkages between TB infection rates and socio-economics. The general perception is that in first world countries, TB infection rates are higher among lower socio economic groups. As such, various strains of TB have been found in public housing estates in countries such as the US and the UK. The scary thing, however, is that some of these outbreaks have been strains of drug-resistant TB. This makes treatment even more difficult, because some of the heavy-hitter drugs have nasty side effects such as as liver failure in adults.
Yelnats at 03:02 PM JST - 8th April

2 months is typical Japanese over kill. She should be allowed to be home, and take the drugs there.
dennis0bauer at 03:12 PM JST - 8th April

Typical japanese when it happens to a "talent" then the public finnaly start to notice that there is a problem.
Disillusioned at 04:20 PM JST - 8th April

Really? The fact that this is such an unusual event would indicate the opposite.

It's not unusual at all. It's in the news because she is a 'tarento'.
Starviking at 04:28 PM JST - 8th April

It's not unusual at all. It's in the news because she is a 'tarento'.

Have any facts to go with that?
some14some at 05:04 PM JST - 8th April

from now onward all 'terento' should be required to produce clean 'Health Certificate' before arranging LIVE shows. This case is quite alarming.
Himajin at 07:05 PM JST - 8th April

It's not unusual at all. It's in the news because she is a 'tarento'.

Have any facts to go with that?

She had several public performances and they are telling people who were close to them when they were performing to get tested, this is another reason it's all over the news, she has exposed many people to it.