Tuberculosis Cases Rising In The U.S.: Where Does CT Stand?

CONNECTICUT, CT — Tuberculosis cases are on the rise in the U.S., but down slightly in Connecticut.

Officials from the Connecticut Department of Public Health announced Monday that 66 tuberculosis cases were reported in Connecticut in 2023, or one case fewer than in 2022. That makes for an incidence rate of 1.8/100,000, similar to 2022.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, the U.S. had 9,615 TB disease cases with an incidence rate of 2.9/100,000 population. Those numbers represent an increase of 16 percent in cases and an increased incidence rate of 15 percent 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, according to the statement from DPH.

"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.

The DPH TB Control Program is responsible for TB control efforts in Connecticut 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.