A Persistent Infectious Disease Threat

Known by various names throughout history, such as “the white plague” or “consumption,”₁ tuberculosis (TB) has and continues to cement itself as the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Since its scientific discovery in 1882, it has been responsible for the deaths of over 1 billion people across the globe, a, “death toll greater than that from malaria, smallpox, HIV/AIDs, cholera, plague and influenza combined.”₂ Annually, an estimated 10 million people are infected with active TB, 2 billion have latent TB, and 1.5 million succumb to TB, underscoring its prevalence on public health through the present day. ₁,₂,₃

While advancements in modern medicine have helped the United States achieve one of the lowest TB incidence rates worldwide,₄ TB still presents risks to local public health. Earlier this year, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported a TB outbreak across two counties, 68 cases of which were active and 80 were latent infections. ₈ While the risk to the general public is very low, this outbreak -- the largest in the U.S. in nearly 40 years -- highlights the ongoing need for public health infrastructure that remains vigilant against the threat TB poses to community health worldwide, especially as TB cases continue to rise post-pandemic in the U.S. ₆  

What is TB?

TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which primarily affects the lungs but can impact other areas like the lymph nodes or kidney. It spreads through the air, “when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks, or sings.” The bacteria can live in the body for years without symptoms – this is known as latent TB infection, or inactive TB. It is estimated that up to 13 million people in the U.S. live with inactive TB without knowing. Without treatment, inactive TB can become active TB at any time, and can present symptoms such as a cough, chest pain, and coughing up blood or sputum CDC estimates that, “without treatment, 1 in 10 people with inactive TB will get sick with active TB disease.”.₉ Active TB can be fatal if left untreated, with an estimated mortality rate of 50% without treatment. ₇ 

Because TB is caused by bacteria, patients can be treated for it with antibiotics. However, inappropriate use of medication can cause TB to become drug-resistant, leading to multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), or even extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), which can progressively limit treatment options. Prompt detection and treatment of TB are crucial to mitigating the risk it poses to individual and community health, and in reducing its burden globally. ₇ 

Learn How You Can Help Eliminate TB

World TB Day, recognized annually on March 24, was created to recognize Dr. Robert Koch’s discovery of the bacterium that causes TB in 1882. The day serves as a reminder to continue promoting the public’s awareness, testing, and treatment of TB, and to continue striving for a world free of it. ₁₀  

Annually on World TB Day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publish their initial findings from the previous year’s TB data. 

• The 2024 initial report can be found here: Provisional 2024 Tuberculosis Data, United States | Tuberculosis Data | CDC. 

• The full report from 2023 was published in late 2024 and can be found here: Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2023. 

  • Notably, in 2023, all jurisdictions fully implemented the revised TB case report form, meaning the 2023 report includes data from new variables including pregnancy, smoking, and history of experiencing homelessness.  

This World TB Day, we encourage readers to explore CDC’s reports as well as other resources to enhance their knowledge of TB, find resources to develop their TB program, and learn about key achievements in eliminating it from the U.S.: