Last year, more than 9,600 tuberculosis cases were reported in the U.S., marking the highest number of annual cases reported in over a decade, according to data the CDC published March 28.
Overall, 40 states saw an increase in the number of cases reported compared to 2022 levels. Cases fell sharply in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 2023 trends mirroring pre-pandemic patterns.
Three more notes on the rise in TB cases:
- The majority of TB cases (85%) reflect reactivation of latent infections, meaning they are not a reflection of case counts in newly infected people. People can be infected for years without the bacteria ever causing illness and without being contagious. Certain infections or illnesses that weaken the immune system, however, can cause the bacteria to become active and cause disease.
- Despite the increase, the U.S. still has one of the lowest TB rates globally.
- CDC officials told The Associated Press that it's too early to determine whether COVID-19 has played a role in increased reactivation of TB.
"Continued progress toward TB elimination will require strong public health systems that are capable of maintaining essential disease prevention and control activities and prepared to withstand the next pandemic or other large-scale crisis," researchers said in the CDC report.