Tuberculosis in the United States reached the highest number of cases in the last decade in 2023, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With over 9,600 cases recorded, there was a 16% increase compared to 2022, marking the highest figure since 2013.
This upward trend was observed in 40 states and across all age groups, according to the CDC. Although tuberculosis saw a significant decline at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers have gradually begun to rise since then.
The number of cases rose from 8,320 in 2022 to 9,615 in 2023, representing an increase of 1,295 cases. This rise was reflected in an incidence rate that went from 2.5 to 2.9 cases per 100,000 people. Such an increase spanned all ages, highlighting the need to strengthen public health strategies to combat this disease.
“We expected an increase in tuberculosis numbers, but the 2023 count was a little more than anticipated,” admitted Dr. Philip LoBue, director of the CDC’s Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, in statements cited by The Associated Press.
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Latent tuberculosis is prevalent in millions of Americans, with a substantial impact on public health. (Europa Press)
Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affects the lungs, though it can also damage other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. Symptoms include chest pain, prolonged cough—sometimes with blood—weakness or fatigue, weight loss, fever, and loss of appetite.
Most of the people counted in the 2023 increase had been infected at least a year or two earlier and had what is known as latent tuberculosis, in which the bacterium enters the body and hibernates in the lungs or other parts of the body.
It is estimated that up to 13 million Americans have latent tuberculosis and are not contagious.
Most recent tuberculosis cases in the country have been diagnosed primarily in people born outside the United States. This situation is partly linked to a global increase in tuberculosis cases, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), which ranked the disease just behind COVID-19 among infectious diseases with the highest number of deaths worldwide in 2022.
Tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of death from infectious diseases worldwide. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Another highlighted factor has been the increase in migration and international travel post-pandemic.
However, it is not limited solely to these phenomena, as diseases that compromise the immune system have also contributed to the emergence of latent tuberculosis infections.
“It is too early to determine” what will happen with tuberculosis trends in the coming years, stated Dr. Philip LoBue, director of the CDC’s Division of Tuberculosis Elimination.
Still, “the idea that COVID-19 has played a role in the increase of disease reactivation is an important question,” he noted, acknowledging that scientists are still investigating what causes the reactivation of latent tuberculosis.
Although the incidence of this disease in the United States is among the lowest in the world and most residents face minimal risk, the condition continues to cause substantial global morbidity and mortality, the CDC emphasizes, describing it as “one of the leading killers by infectious disease in the world.”
Image: Infobae
