U.S. Tuberculosis Cases Up for the First Time in 23 Years

After a decades-long slog toward elimination of tuberculosis in the United States, 2015 saw a slight increase in the number of domestic TB cases. While around half of all reported cases occurred in Texas, California, Florida, and New York, 29 states and the District of Columbia reported increases over 2014. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that lower funding of TB prevention programs may be on reason, urgent care clinicians faced with patients who exhibit signs of TB should note that two thirds of the cases reported last year occurred in people born outside the U.S., especially in Asian countries. The CDC also called for increased awareness of the potential for active TB in foreign-born temporary workers; TB screening is required for persons seeking permanent residence in the U.S., but it is not routinely required for people coming on temporary visas for school or work.