TY - JOUR
AU - Melanie, Zipperer
AB -  After the fall of the Soviet Union, Latvia faced rising unemployment, poverty, and alcoholism, conditions that fueled a surge in TB. Zipperer discusses how Latvian health professionals are tackling the problem. With a forceful gesture, the delicate blond unlocks the heavy door of a cell in Riga's Central Prison clinic ( Figure 1 ). Her name is Dr. Inga Nagele. She is the head of the clinic's tuberculosis (TB) unit. She opens the door to check on three female prisoners who have just been admitted. The conditions in the cell are bleak. Washing hangs on a line that stretches from one wall to the other. The bars on the small window hardly let any light into the room, and a bucket in the corner serves as a toilet. All the women were infected with TB at the prison. 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020122.g001 Corridor of the clinic in Riga's Central Prison (Photo: Melanie Zipperer) “Living conditions in Latvia's prisons are miserable. This is ideal for a relentless spread of the life-threatening lung bacteria and other communicable diseases”, says Dr. Nagele. Because of permanent overcrowding, poor hygiene, and frequent relocation of prisoners within Latvia's 15 prisons, two-thirds of inmates infected with TB developed 
TI - Tackling Tuberculosis in Latvia
JO - PLoS Medicine
DO - 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020122
DA - 2005-05-31
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/public-library-of-science-plos-journal/tackling-tuberculosis-in-latvia-0o1w0OGieR
VL - 2
IS - 5
DP - DeepDyve
ER -