In 2010, the reported number of TB cases decreased slightly from the previous year. In 2010, there were 11,182 reported TB cases (3.6 cases per 100,000 persons) compared to 11,537 reported TB cases from 2009. TB case totals are now at the lowest number recorded since national reporting began in 1953. Yet, even though reported TB cases reached all-time lows in the United States, there are still disproportionately higher rates of TB among racial/ethnic minorities, especially U.S.-born blacks. TB rates are higher for some racial and ethnic groups, probably because a greater proportion of people in these groups have other risk factors for TB.
Foreign-born persons accounted for 60% of all cases. To address the high TB case rates among foreign-born persons, CDC is collaborating with other national and international public health organizations to improve screening of immigrants and refugees, test recent arrivals from countries with high rates of TB, and improve TB control activities along the border between the United States and Mexico. Foreign-born cases are declining in number, but not as quickly as among the U.S.-born.
To achieve TB elimination, ongoing efforts are needed to address the persistent disparities that exist between U.S.-born and foreign-born persons, and between whites and minorities in the United States.
Data Source
CDC. Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2010. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, October 2011.)
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