World TB Day
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World TB Day, held on March 24 each year, is an occasion for people around the world to raise awareness about the devastating health and economic consequences of tuberculosis (TB) and to elicit support for TB control activities.
Many people think that TB is a disease of the past – an illness that no longer threatens us today. One reason for this belief is that the occurrence of TB is declining in the United States. However, TB continues to be one of the deadliest diseases in the world. Although TB can be cured with proper medical care, it still kills almost 2 million people every year, including more than 500 in the United States.
In 2012, 20 Minnesota counties reported a total of 162 new TB cases. No active TB disease was reported among residents of the remaining 67 (77%) counties. Although this was an increase of 25 cases over the previous year, the number of cases had decreased for four consecutive years before that. The incidence of TB in Minnesota has decreased by 32% since 2007, when 238 cases were reported. There likely are many reasons for the recent decline in TB, including the strong efforts of local and state health departments, health care providers and facilities, laboratories, community groups and others to address this disease. Largely because of these collaborations, Minnesota meets or exceeds most of the national TB control benchmark indicators. We continue to remain dedicated to the collaborative work that is reducing TB rates if we are to avoid the resurgence of TB that occurred in the United States two decades ago.
The number of active TB cases is only the tip of the iceberg. For every person with active TB, dozens more have latent TB infection (LTBI). One-tenth of them will develop active TB unless they receive preventive treatment. In addition to treating people with active TB, we must promote screening and treatment of persons at risk for LTBI. Treating LTBI protects people against TB before they become sick.
- TB Basics
General information about TB.
- MDH TB Prevention and Control Program
Program activities, objectives, and contact information.
- TB Statistics
TB data and analysis of TB trends in Minnesota and the United States.
- World TB Day 2013
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE) World TB Day site. Attention: Non-MDH link
- Stop TB in My Lifetime: A Call for a World Free of TB - World TB Day 2013
Two minute podcast from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Attention: Non-MDH link
- Stop TB Partnership
This site is hosted by the World Health Organization. Attention: Non-MDH link
