World TB Day is March 24

World TB Day is March 24th and a good time to educate ourselves on what we can do to stop TB in this lifetime.

In 2012, more than 9,000 people became sick with tuberculosis (TB) disease in the United States. The goal of World TB Day each year is to help educate people that TB is a deadly disease, that it is still a major problem all over the world, and that there is so much more that can be done to prevent, control, and one day eliminate this disease.

San Mateo County had 59 cases of Tuberculosis (TB) in both 2010 and 2011, and 54 cases in 2012. We ranked sixth in California for active cases of TB. While the number of cases may not seem high, TB is a contagious disease that spreads through the air, and can be deadly. 

Left untreated, each person with active TB disease will infect on average 10-15 people each year. In fact, every day around the world, 20,000 people develop active TB disease and 5,000 die.

Here’s what you can do to help reduce the number of cases in our County:

  1. Ask your healthcare provider if you should be screened for TB
  2. Early treatment with antibiotics cures TB disease so if you are being treated, it’s very important to finish the medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

While the number of TB cases in the United States has been decreasing over the past 20 years, there is still a higher than normal percent of cases for certain racial and ethnic populations around the world, as well as in San Mateo County. This is because there are more risk factors for certain populations that increase the chances of developing TB.

In medieval times, TB was known as the “white plague” and you may have heard of it sometimes referred to as “consumption”. Tuberculosis has been around for centuries and while there have been great advances made in detecting and treating the disease, TB remains one of the world’s deadliest diseases.

How to get tested in San Mateo County

Not everyone infected with TB bacteria become sick, and there are two TB-related conditions: Latent TB Infection and Active TB Disease

The Difference Between Latent TB Infection and Active TB Disease

A Person with Latent TB Infection A Person with Active TB Disease
Does not feel sick Usually feels sick
Has no symptoms Has symptoms that may include:
- a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
- coughing up blood or sputum
- weakness or fatigue
- weight loss
- no appetite
- chills
- fever
- sweating at night
Cannot spread TB bacteria to others May spread TB bacteria to others
Usually has a positive skin test or positive TB blood test Usually has a positive skin test or positive TB blood test
Has a normal chest x-ray and a negative sputum smear May have an abnormal chest x-ray, or positive sputum smear or culture
Should consider treatment for latent TB infection to prevent active TB disease Needs treatment for active TB disease

Reporting

  • To report a confirmed or suspected case of Tuberculosis, call: (650) 573-2346, Fax: (650) 573-2919

To learn more visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

World TB Day Resources

Additional Information About TB