The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released Burden of TB in the United States, 2015. The report shares findings from surveillance data and found that, for the first time in 23 years, the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the U.S. increased in 2015. Below are some other highlights from the report:
- 9,557 cases of TB were reported in 2015, which represents a 1.6% increase from 2014.
- An increase in TB cases was reported in 27 states and the District of Columbia.
- The overall TB case rate remained level at 3.0 per 100,000 persons.
- Since 1993, TB case rates have continued to decline in almost all racial and ethnics groups.
In addition to providing highlights, the report recommends strategies for eliminating TB in the U.S. and addressing disparities in TB infections and diagnoses. People born outside of the United States continue to bear the burden of TB, largely because of reactivation of latent TB infection that occurred in their country of origin. The majority of these cases are among persons who have been in the United States 5 years or longer. The first increase in TB cases in the United States in 23 years, as well as the disparities in the disease, underscore the need for more comprehensive public health approaches in TB prevention and control.
