Tuberculosis control activities to eradicate tuberculosis within the state of Alabama. - TB is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium named Mycobacterium TB (MTB). TB is spread from one person to the next when people who have active TB in their lungs or throat, cough, sneeze, or sing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is estimated that 1.8 billion people, 25 percent of the world’s population, are infected with MTB, and 5-10 percent of those infected individuals will develop active TB disease in their lifetime. Estimates indicated that 10.6 million people around the world would develop active TB disease in 2022. In 2023, 9,615 TB cases were reported in the United States (U.S.), showing a 16 percent increase in reported active TB cases from 2022 and an 8 percent increase of reported active TB cases when compared to the 2019 pre-pandemic levels. In this century, current TB elimination strategies alone will not achieve TB elimination in the U.S. Meeting the TB elimination goal will require increased surveillance, detection, and treatment of individuals with latent TB infection (LTBI) that are at a high risk of developing active TB disease. TB disproportionately affects certain populations including non-U.S. born individuals; individuals with co-morbid conditions such as HIV or diabetes; and individuals experiencing homelessness, incarceration, and abuse of alcohol and drugs. In 2023, the incidence rate for active TB infection (TBI) among non-U.S. born individuals in Alabama was 23.1 cases per 100,000 persons, with non-U.S. born individuals representing 42.4 percent of the total number of active TB cases reported. The total number of active TB cases in Alabama increased from 65 in 2022 to 92 in 2023, a 42 percent increase. The proportion of total cases with risk factors including non-U.S. born individuals, HIV co-infection, diabetes, homelessness, incarceration, and alcohol and drug use increased by 47.6 percent among all cases from 2022 to 2023. Achieving TB elimination in Alabama and the U.S. will require a targeted focus on individuals belonging to these high-risk groups.
