SACRAMENTO $BK(JThe number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in California dropped 3 percent last year, marking the lowest number of TB cases in state history, State Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton announced today in observance of World Stop TB Day - March 24. In 2005, 2,900 cases of TB were reported, down from 2,989 in 2004.
"The modest decline in TB cases represents a key achievement in the battle against this devastating disease," Horton said. "Despite the good news, we must not let our guard down. California still has more TB cases than any other state in the nation, and this infectious disease is on the rise worldwide."
More than 75 percent of cases in California were reported among individuals born abroad, who consistently experience higher levels of TB. TB rates among Hispanics, African-Americans and Asians range from five to 16 times higher than rates for non-Hispanic Whites.
TB is a contagious disease transmitted through the air when an individual with active TB coughs or talks. Anyone inhaling air containing the TB bacteria may become infected. If TB infection progresses to active TB disease, it usually takes six or more months to cure.
"Inadequate therapy in TB patients can breed TB bacteria that do not respond to our best TB medicines," Horton warned. "This multidrug-resistant TB strain causes the deadliest form of TB, which is more difficult and costly to treat. The state and local health departments must be vigilant in preventing the spread of either homegrown or imported multidrug-resistant TB."
TB symptoms include a cough that lasts longer than two weeks, coughing up blood, weakness or fatigue, weight loss and lack of appetite. Individuals with these symptoms should consult their health care providers. Individuals should also see their health care providers for a TB test if they have diabetes, weakened immune systems, immigrated in the last five years from countries with high TB rates or recently breathed air shared by an infectious TB patient.
"One complicating factor of this disease is that TB infection can remain inactive for years before making a person sick and contagious," Horton said. "An estimated one out of every 10 Californians has this form of TB. Of these, 10 percent may become sick and contagious with TB at some point in their lives if they are not treated. Finding and treating these infected Californians is essential to preventing future TB outbreaks."
To control the spread of TB, the California Department of Health Services has an annual budget of more than $17.2 million, including $9.4 million in state General Funds, and works with local health departments to:
- Ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment of individuals with TB as well as anyone with whom they have contact to prevent transmission of the disease.
- Expand the use of directly observed therapy to ensure that TB patients are cured and do not develop multidrug-resistant TB.
- Ensure that individuals with multidrug-resistant TB receive appropriate treatment and do not spread multidrug-resistant TB disease to others.
- Improve TB detection and prevention among newly arriving immigrants and refugees.
- Expand housing and detention capacity so homeless or non-compliant TB patients can complete treatment.
- Work with the federal government and Mexico on a regional strategy to combat this important disease along the border.
- Halt and prevent TB outbreaks in health care facilities and community settings.
Information about TB and efforts to stop the disease in California are available on the California TB Controllers Association$BCT(J Web site at http://www.ctca.org.
See Chart Below
TB Case Numbers, California, 2005
Jurisdiction Cases
Reporting Percent Change
Jurisdiction 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 1996-95 2004-05
California 4,313 4,059 3,855 3,608 3,297 3,332 3,169 3,227 2,989 2,900 -32.8 -3.0
Alameda 234 193 223 224 242 196 199 175 144 152 -35.0 5.6
Alpine - - - - - - - - - - . .
Amador 2 - 1 1 - - - - - - . .
Berkeley 13 20 7 17 4 12 11 5 4 11 -15.4 .
Butte 4 13 4 4 4 5 1 6 4 3 . .
Calaveras - - 1 - - 1 - - - - . .
Colusa - 3 - - 1 2 - 1 - - . .
Contra Costa 119 107 102 97 78 105 68 82 64 58 -51.3 -9.4
Del Norte - - 1 - 1 - - 1 - - . .
El Dorado 3 3 3 1 4 5 3 - 3 4 . .
Fresno 69 92 114 101 91 98 98 115 102 69 . -32.4
Glenn 2 1 - - 1 - - 3 - - . .
Humboldt 7 8 15 8 6 7 6 2 4 4 . .
Imperial 40 39 39 38 26 25 29 25 31 32 -20.0 3.2
Inyo - - - - 1 - 1 1 - - . .
Kern 71 63 48 62 49 49 57 47 36 42 -40.8 16.7
Kings 31 14 18 11 7 11 6 3 3 8 -74.2 .
Lake 6 3 2 2 2 2 - 1 3 - . .
Lassen 2 - - 1 1 - - - - 2 . .
Long Beach 97 100 57 88 63 50 59 65 54 53 -45.4 -1.9
Los Angeles 1,375 1,346 1,299 1,170 1,066 1,046 1,025 950 930 906 -34.1 -2.6
Madera 10 10 7 9 14 11 12 14 5 9 -10.0 80.0
Marin 16 12 20 10 11 15 12 17 13 10 -37.5 -23.1
Mariposa - - - - 2 - - - - - . .
Mendocino - 2 4 1 4 2 7 6 1 2 . .
Merced 19 10 8 11 10 15 16 16 8 5 -73.7 -37.5
Modoc - - - - 2 - - - - - . .
Mono - - - - - - - - - - . .
Monterey 36 45 48 47 35 39 24 54 29 37 2.8 27.6
Napa 11 3 5 3 3 2 7 6 7 3 . .
Nevada - - 1 2 1 1 - 1 1 2 . .
Orange 273 330 298 246 246 278 230 248 224 240 -12.1 7.1
Pasadena 24 11 19 8 13 17 12 12 12 15 -37.5 25.0
Placer 3 4 5 3 1 3 3 12 2 5 . .
Plumas 1 1 - - 1 - - - - - . .
Riverside 99 67 74 79 71 66 68 75 75 58 -41.4 -22.7
Sacramento 147 145 112 97 120 130 104 153 161 145 -1.4 -9.9
San Benito 1 3 3 5 2 6 3 2 2 - . .
San Bernardino 130 130 101 113 104 83 63 67 67 63 -51.5 -6.0
San Diego 385 334 339 296 295 332 326 316 320 305 -20.8 -4.7
San Francisco 262 242 207 235 170 182 146 162 135 132 -49.6 -2.2
San Joaquin 73 64 65 74 72 51 52 69 65 63 -13.7 -3.1
San Luis Obispo 11 9 16 6 9 11 6 8 2 8 -27.3 .
San Mateo 92 85 80 62 46 78 67 52 56 63 -31.5 12.5
Santa Barbara 69 36 32 26 22 26 18 37 18 26 -62.3 44.4
Santa Clara 297 258 251 244 235 215 254 226 203 199 -33.0 -2.0
Santa Cruz 18 15 12 14 4 7 6 9 9 10 -44.4 11.1
Shasta 3 10 4 5 5 4 4 8 4 6 . .
Sierra - - - - - - - - - - . .
Siskiyou - - 2 1 1 - - - - 1 . .
Solano 59 45 50 32 27 35 26 30 42 41 -30.5 -2.4
Sonoma 24 12 16 18 16 9 16 15 20 11 -54.2 -45.0
Stanislaus 31 35 25 33 18 18 22 17 19 11 -64.5 -42.1
Sutter 9 6 9 6 4 5 7 5 - 1 . .
Tehama 8 4 1 2 2 1 - 3 1 4 . .
Trinity 1 - - - - - - - - - . .
Tulare 36 24 27 22 17 15 19 16 21 15 -58.3 -28.6
Tuolumne - 1 8 - 2 1 - - 1 - . .
Ventura 70 79 57 62 44 52 66 74 72 55 -21.4 -23.6
Yolo 14 15 8 9 9 5 4 12 5 9 -35.7 80.0
Yuba 6 7 7 2 12 3 6 3 7 2 . .
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