Press Releases
04/15/2024
Department of Public Health reports tuberculosis cases in Connecticut stable despite 16% increase in TB cases nationally
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2024
CONTACT: Chris Boyle—Director of Communications
(860) 706-9654 – christopher.boyle@ct.gov
HARTFORD, Conn. — Officials from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) announced today that 66 tuberculosis (TB) cases were reported in Connecticut in 2023, (one case fewer than in 2022), corresponding to an incidence rate of 1.8/100,000, similar to 2022.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2023, the U.S. had 9,615 TB disease cases with an incidence rate of 2.9/100,000 population. These data represent an increase of 16% in cases and an increased incidence rate of 15% compared to 2022. Although TB disease case numbers have remained steady for the last two years in Connecticut, the cases have presented as more complex to manage. These national and Connecticut trends highlight the need for consistent support for public health in general, and vigilance regarding TB disease and infection, in particular.
“While TB continues to be a major cause of disease and death worldwide, TB is both treatable and preventable. We have the tools to identify and treat people before they get sick. This is the key to eventually eliminating TB in Connecticut and throughout the world,” said Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD.
In March 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. At the time of Dr. Koch’s announcement, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Dr. Koch’s discovery opened the way toward diagnosing and curing TB.
CDC encourages all health providers to help prevent active TB disease by communicating with patients about latent TB infection. CDC’s Think. Test. Treat TB campaign includes an on-line hub for resources to help inform and guide conversations between patients and providers, as well as directions about how to order supporting materials.
The DPH TB Control Program is responsible for TB control efforts in the state and works with health care providers and local health departments in a variety of activities including monitoring for new cases, assuring completion of treatment of disease, investigating and treating contacts that have been recently exposed, and promoting screening for infection in a variety of settings.
For more information, please go to https://www.cdc.gov/tb/default.htm, https://www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday/default.htm. You also can visit the DPH TB Control Program website at https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Tuberculosis/Tuberculosis-Control-Program, or call (860) 509-7722.
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