For immediate release: March 20, 2008  (08-034)

Contacts:
Kim Field, Tuberculosis Program 360-236-3447
Jeff Smith, Communications Office 360-236-4072

Tuberculosis cases up 11 percent in Washington

OLYMPIA ¾ The tuberculosis rate in Washington took an 11 percent jump in 2007 — a reminder of the health threat posed by the respiratory illness.

In 2007, 291 cases of tuberculosis were reported — up from 262 cases reported in 2006. Of Washington’s 39 counties, 34 had 10 or fewer cases. King County accounted for 161 (55 percent) of all cases reported in our state.

Seventy-five percent of the 2007 tuberculosis cases in Washington were among foreign-born immigrants or refugees from countries with high rates of tuberculosis. Another factor in the increase was the carry-over of cases still under treatment from 2006.

Tuberculosis (TB) was known as consumption in the past because of the long, wasting illness resulting from infection. Eighty years ago there were 1,986 cases reported in the state with more than 1,000 deaths annually. While TB has been greatly controlled in the United States, of particular concern is the emergence of tuberculosis strains that are resistant to available treatment. Only two cases in Washington last year were multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.

Health care providers can help prevent drug-resistant TB by quickly diagnosing tuberculosis, following recommended treatment guidelines, monitoring patient’s response to treatment, and making sure therapy is completed.

Every TB isolate should be forwarded to the state Public Health Laboratories for drug resistance testing. Providers should also ensure proper infection control procedures are in place to prevent exposure to TB in hospitals or health-care settings.

Infection control guidelines (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5415a1.htm) are available online. These practices can also prevent the spread of other respiratory infections such as influenza and whooping cough. Other information on TB (http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/TB) is also available online on the Department of Health’s tuberculosis Web site.

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