U.S. cases decline for 7th straight year
New TB cases reach all-time low
TB controllers in the United States received a hearty pat on the back with the release of data showing that the eight-year decline in the rate of new cases has reached an all-time low, dropping by 7% from 1999 to 2000.
According to figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, a total of 16,377 new TB cases were reported by the 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2000, an all-time low, down from 17,531 cases in 1999.
Since the peak in 1992, the number of TB cases has dropped 45%, from 10.5 cases per 100,000 people in 1992 to 5.8 cases per 100,000 people in 2000.
The figures were released as part of the National TB Controllers Workshop, held June 18-21 in Baltimore.
"While the 2000 national TB figures highlight the effectiveness of U.S. TB control efforts, the disease still remains a significant health threat
in many parts of this country," said Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH, director of the CDC. "To eliminate TB as a public health problem in the United States, efforts will need to be accelerated in those states and communities most affected
by the disease."
The CDC also released figures on the 10 states with the highest TB rates, pointing to several areas where prevention and control efforts must be accelerated.
The top 10 were, in ranking order: Alaska, Hawaii, California, New York, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and South Carolina. (See charts on pp. 80-81 for a complete listing of TB cases and rates by state.)
Seven of the top 10 states had a decrease in TB rates between 1999 and 2000, but three states — Alaska, Arkansas, and Georgia — reported increases in rates.
Alaska had the most dramatic rise in rates, from 9.9 in 1999 to 17.2 in 2000, said the CDC. TB rates in Arkansas climbed from 7.1 to 7.4, and the rates in Georgia increased slightly from 8.5 to 8.6.
Still, the news was mostly good overall compared to the mid-1980s, when TB rates climbed 20%.
But CDC officials warned against complacency, noting that globally, TB continues to grow, with eight million new cases each year, and two million deaths attributed to TB.
"The growing global TB epidemic could impact the declines made in the United States if TB defense systems are not maintained," said Helene Gayle, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. "Innovative approaches and support, as well as a commitment to global TB control, will be required to eliminate this disease from the United States."
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