World Tuberculosis Day brings renewed concern
about this contagious disease

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from contagious disease in the world. World TB Day, held on March 24 each year, is an occasion for people around the world to raise awareness about the international health threat presented by tuberculosis and recognize that effective treatment exists.Colorado is observing World TB Day by giving health care providers the most up-to-date information on diagnosing and treating TB, and providing expert speakers at a seminar on Wednesday, March 21, addressing multi-drug resistant TB.

Overall, one-third of the world's population is currently infected with the TB bacteria, and each year about 1.7 million people die from this disease. However, tuberculosis can be controlled, cured, and, with diligent efforts and sufficient resources, eventually eliminated.

"Like the common cold, TB spreads through the air. When infectious people cough, sneeze, talk or spit, they propel TB germs into the air, and exposure to these germs over a period of time can infect their close contacts," states Richard L. Vogt, MD, Executive Director of Tri-County Health Department. "New cases in children are especially concerning because this is a sign of recent transmission and missed opportunities for TB prevention ."

Symptoms of TB of the lungs may include a cough that lasts over three weeks; coughing up blood or phlegm; or chest pain. General symptoms may include weakness or fatigue; weight loss; chills or fever; and night sweats. TB is not spread by shaking hands; sharing food or drink; touching bed linens or toilet seats; sharing toothbrushes; kissing; smoking; or sharing cigarettes.

In 2006, there were 124 cases of TB reported in Colorado, including 40 in Tri-County Health Department's region - 17 in Adams County, 22 in Arapahoe County and 1 in Douglas County. These are the highest totals for both Adams and Arapahoe Counties in the last 10 years.

Though 56 percent of the state's population resides in the seven Denver Metro counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson Counties, 73 percent of Colorado's cases of TB are from these metropolitan counties.

In 2005, there were 14,097 persons with TB disease reported in the United States, declining from 14,515 cases in 2004. This TB rate was the lowest recorded since national reporting began in 1953. This success makes us vulnerable to complacency, but it also gives us an opportunity to eliminate TB in this country. Although the TB rate is going down in the United States, the decrease in the percent change of the annual case rate has slowed, which is what worries public health officials.

It is a public health responsibility to conduct contact investigations on all cases of infectious TB, since these people's close contacts are approximately 75 times more likely to be infected with TB than the general public. Thus it is critical to find, evaluate and treat infected contacts to stop the spread of the disease. People with active TB disease can be treated and often cured with medical treatment.

If you think you may have been exposed to someone with TB at any time in the past, or you have emigrated from a country that has TB, you should contact your doctor or local health department about getting a simple TB skin test.

For more information about tuberculosis or World TB Day, visit the Tri-County Health Department website at www.tchd.org.