New 30-year high in tuberculosis cases (King County, Washington State)

King County Public Health (Washington State) ^ | March 20, 2008

[Stoat]

New 30-year high in tuberculosis cases March 24 is World TB Day Thursday, March 20, 2008 KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Tuberculosis (TB) takes two million lives worldwide every year, and World TB Day on March 24 is an opportunity to focus on solutions to the devastating global epidemic. Locally, 161 cases were reported in 2007, a new 30-year high, serving as a stark reminder that TB also remains a significant challenge in King County. Today’s cases are increasingly among the foreign born. Also disproportionately represented are African Americans, Asian /Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Latinos, the homeless and those living with HIV. “King County is an important player in an increasingly interconnected world, but this also makes us more vulnerable to diseases like tuberculosis, more common in other countries than our own,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County. “Given this challenge, our public health system does an excellent job of finding and treating those who are infected, to protect them and those around them,” said Fleming. In 2007 for King County : There were 161 cases of active TB, compared with 145 in 2006, representing a 30-year high. The last recent peak was in 2002 and 2003, with 158 and 155 cases, respectively. 76% of the infected individuals were born outside of the United States. The most common countries of origin were Vietnam, Somalia, Ethiopia, India and the Marshall Islands. Blacks or African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and Latinos continue to have disproportionately higher rates of TB. 12% of TB cases were resistant to at least one TB medication. There were two cases of multi-drug resistant TB, and no case of extreme drug-resistant TB. 6 % of TB cases were among HIV infected persons. The TB Control Program in King County focuses on: case management of patients with active TB disease in order to assure the cure of all TB cases, stop further transmission of TB and prevent development of multi-drug resistant TB timely and thorough contact investigations around active TB cases to identify, evaluate and treat those who were exposed and/or recently infected collaborative efforts with a number of public health and community partners, particularly to enhance targeted TB testing and treatment of latent TB infection. “TB is curable and preventable, but controlling TB is an ongoing challenge,” said Dr. Masa Narita, TB Control Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County. “We have approximately 100,000 people living in our county with latent, or dormant, TB infection who are not contagious, but are potentially future active TB cases.” Globally, one third of the world's population has TB infection, and two million people a year die of the disease. In recognition of World TB Day on March 24, a panel of tuberculosis research and healthcare experts, including a panelist from Public Health - Seattle & King County, will lead an interactive discussion about the worldwide TB epidemic, the efforts to control its devastating impact and how individuals can get involved to help its eradication. The discussion is set for Town Hall Seattle, Eighth and Seneca, from 7:30-8:30 p.m., Monday, March 24. For more information, visit: www.sbri.org/news/2008/World_TB_Day.pdf Background on TB Tuberculosis, also called TB, is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium named Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB usually involves the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can infect almost any organ in the body. TB is almost always curable with antibiotics that are readily available in countries such as the United States. People with active TB disease are made sick by bacteria that are active in their body. People with inactive, or latent, TB infection are not sick because the germ is inactive inside their body, and they cannot spread TB infection to others. For more information on Public Health’s TB Control Program and activities, visit: www.metrokc.gov/health/tb Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day. # # #

Updated: Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 11:24 AM

[Stoat]

Also:

CDC Features - Partnerships for Tuberculosis Elimination

(Includes links to technical TB information for those interested)

Local News Active TB cases reach 30-year high in King County Seattle Times Newspaper

(Text of article not posted because this source needs to be excerpted for posting, as per Free Republic rules)

Thanks to OrbusMax for the Seattle Times link

Orbusmax ™ Northwest News - 'Around The World In 80K'

[ought-six]

Ain’t illegal immigration grand?

[43north]

Illegal immigrants - carrying the diseases that Americans just won’t.

[Diogenesis]

[metmom]

Deport all the illegals and anyone here who’s not a citizen who tests positive.

[sionnsar]

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.

Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.

[Timeout]

Today’s cases are increasingly among the foreign born. Also disproportionately represented are African Americans, Asian /Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Latinos, the homeless and those living with HIV.

Could've saved some ink by simply saying "cases are rare among white, monogomous people with homes".

[Stoat]

Ain’t illegal immigration grand?

You are being RACIST and INSENSITIVE!  This is caused by the fact that "King County is an important player in an increasingly interconnected world ", according to the article.

 

"snicker"

 

(hopefully I won't be needing to add a 'sarcasm' tag to that...  :-))

[Stoat]

Today’s cases are increasingly among the foreign born. Also disproportionately represented are African Americans, Asian /Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Latinos, the homeless and those living with HIV.

Could've saved some ink by simply saying "cases are rare among white, monogomous people with homes

In hard-Left, Ultra-PC King County such statements of Truth are typically met by torch-and-pitchfork carrying mobs who will send the Truth Speaker to Sensitivity Indoctrination or prosecute him/her for Hate Speech, place his or her children under State 'care' and burn your home to the ground.  You have been warned!

Today’s cases are increasingly among the foreign born. Also disproportionately represented are African Americans, Asian /Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Latinos, the homeless and those living with HIV.

Could've saved some ink by simply saying "cases are rare among white, monogomous people with homes

[Sicvee]

Actually when we are speaking of Somalis and Ethiopians, I think they are legal. But I am curious why Seattle has so many of them, and if other major cities have such enclaves. What special national policy encouraged them to come to this country? They seem to be entrepreneurial, at least.

[VanShuyten]

Just another reminder to all those “raw milk” fans from another thread celebrating the California ruling.

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[television is just wrong]

bringing us diseases we ridded this nation of decades ago.

hmm, don’t they blame the european explorers for that.

[television is just wrong]

bringing us diseases we ridded this nation of decades ago.

hmm, don’t they blame the european explorers for that.

[television is just wrong]

bringing us diseases we ridded this nation of decades ago.

hmm, don’t they blame the european explorers for that.

[BIGLOOK]

Just another reason not to dine in Las Vegas cantinas restaurants.