Trends in Tuberculosis, United States

How many cases of tuberculosis (TB) were reported in the United States in 2006?

In total, 13,779 TB cases (a rate of 4.6 cases per 100,000 persons) were reported in the United States in 2006. This represents a 3.1% decline in the rate from 2005. The 2006 TB rate was the lowest recorded since national reporting began in 1953.

Is the rate of TB declining in the United States?

Yes. The TB rate is going down in the United States. But, the decrease in the percent change of the annual case rate has slowed, from an annual average of 6.6% for 1993 through 2002 to an average of 3.1% for 2003 through 2006.

How do the rates of TB compare between U.S.-born persons and foreign-born persons living in the United States?

In 2006, the TB rate in foreign-born persons in the United States (22.0 cases per 100,000 persons) was 9.5* times greater than that of U.S.-born persons (2.3 cases per 100,000 persons).

* Ratio calculation is based on unrounded data values.

How many people died from TB in the United States?

There were 646 deaths from TB in 2005, a 1.7% decline from 657 deaths in 2004.

What are the rates of TB for different racial and ethnic populations^†?

• American Indians or Alaska Natives: 7.4 cases per 100,000 persons
• Asians: 25.6 cases per 100,000 persons
• Blacks: 10.2 cases per 100,000 persons
• Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders: 13.6 cases per 100,000 persons
• Hispanics or Latinos: 9.2 cases per 100,000 persons
• Whites: 1.2 cases per 100,000 persons

^† For this report, persons identified as white, black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, or of multiple races are all non-Hispanic. Persons identified as Hispanic may be of any race.

Is multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) on the rise?

Among all reported TB cases in the United States, the percentage of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB cases in persons with no previous history of TB that were reported in the United States decreased from 2.4% in 1993 to approximately 1.1% in 1997, and remained approximately at 1% up to and including 2006.

Since 1998, the percentage of U.S.-born patients with MDR TB has remained < 0.7%. However, of the total number of reported primary MDR TB cases, the proportion occurring in foreign-born persons increased from 25% (103 of 407) in 1993 to 80% (73 of 91) in 2006.

How are TB data collected?

The 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and seven other U.S. jurisdictions in the Pacific and Caribbean, report all TB cases to CDC. These cases must meet the CDC/Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists case definition. When cases are reported, the report includes specific information about the person with TB. This includes the patient';s race, ethnicity (either Hispanic or non-Hispanic), treatment information, and, when available, drug-susceptibility test results. CDC calculates national and state TB rates and rates for foreign-born, U.S.-born, and racial/ethnic populations. These calculations use U.S. census population estimates for the years 1993 through 2006.

Where can I find TB data for my state?

The most recent surveillance report, Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2006, has TB data from reporting areas. If you need additional state-specific data not available in this report, you can contact your state TB control office.

References

CDC. Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2006. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, October 2007.

Additional Information

CDC. Questions and Answers About TB.

CDC. The Difference Between Latent TB Infection and Active TB Disease.

CDC. Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB).

State TB Control Offices

Online Tuberculosis Information System (OTIS)
The Online Tuberculosis Information System (OTIS) is a query-based system containing information on verified tuberculosis (TB) cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).