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Cause:
Bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Illness and treatment:
Tuberculosis (TB) usually affects the lungs, but can affect lymph nodes, bones, joints, and
other parts of the body. Infection may be latent, and not communicable, or active. Typical
symptoms are fever, weight loss, night sweats, cough, bloody sputum, and chest pain. If you
have latent TB infection (LTBI) but not TB disease, your physician may want you to take
medication to prevent you from developing TB disease. If you have active TB disease you must
complete a course of curative therapy.
Sources and spread:
TB is spread from person to person through the air. When a person with active TB disease of the lungs
or throat coughs or sneezes the TB bacteria may get into the air and be breathed in by others.
Additional risks:
About 75% of cases in Washington are among foreign-born persons from countries with high rates of TB.
People infected with the HIV virus, AIDS patients, persons with weakened immune symptoms, diabetics,
young children and the elderly are at increased risk of developing active TB disease.
Prevention:
Stop the spread of TB by covering the mouth and nose when coughing, and take all TB medicine
exactly as prescribed. Completing treatment for LTBI and infectious TB prevents the spread of
TB and the development of resistant strains. Persons at risk can be screened for TB.
Washington trends:
Each year there are approximately 250 cases of TB, with the number of deaths ranging from 2 to 18.
There continues to be a decrease in crude TB incidence rate.
2010:
Washington State reported 236 cases of TB for a case rate of 3.5 per 100,000 persons.
Only 7 of the 39 counties had 5 or more cases of TB, accounting for 87% of cases in Washington.
King County accounted for 114 cases (48%) of the 236 cases (rate 6.0 per 100,000).
Purpose of Reporting and Surveillance
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To identify and ensure the adequate evaluation and treatment of persons with TB disease
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To identify the contacts of TB cases and ensure their evaluation
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To ensure that all eligible infected contacts are offered and complete preventive therapy
Legal Reporting Requirements
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Health care providers:
Immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction (WAC 246-101-101)
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Health care facilities:
Immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction (WAC 246-101-101)
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Laboratories:
Initial culture notifiable to local health jurisdiction within two business days; (WAC 246-101-201)
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Local health jurisdictions:
Notifiable to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) within 7 days of case investigation
or summary required within 21 days (WAC 246-101).
Last update
December 2011 |
