California grapples with Tuberculosis spike: Cases climb, despite COVID easing

Visual Representation for Tuberculosis infected lungs
Visual Representation for Tuberculosis infected lungs

United States: The Golden State of the United States – California, has reported a surge in the cases of Tuberculosis (TB) following a decline for years. According to the data shared by the health authorities, the cases have gone up from 1,704 in 2020 to 1,848 in 2022.

The recently released data by Santa Clara County on Tuesday unveiled that the cases have witnessed an increase of 19 percent between the years 2022 and 2023. In addition to this, an increase in cases was also reported in certain counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco, according to The Mercury News.  

The resurgence doesn’t signify a hazardous outbreak; instead, it reflects the reappearance of an underlying health threat that is now being identified as the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the health experts suggested that diagnoses might have been overlooked, misdiagnosed, or delayed during this period.

In this regard, the associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at UC San Francisco – Dr Priya Shete, stated, “This is a ‘slow burn’ of an age-old disease that’s now increasing, probably because we let our guard down and didn’t emphasize the need for prevention of progression” from latent illness to active Tuberculosis,” according to The Mercury News.

TB and its effects on the human body!

The health authorities have underlined the infection starts with a mild fever and malaise, which then causes a painful cough and shortness of breath. The official data has mentioned that the disease is the second-most deadly infection worldwide, as it is responsible for 1.2 million people per year. The disease ranks behind COVID-19.

Visual Representation for tuberculosis infection | Credits: Shutterstock

While elaborating on the effects of Tuberculosis, the assistant health officer and TB Controller for the Public Health Department of Santa Clara County – Dr Ann Loeffler, said, “TB is treatable. TB is preventable. But you have to get tested.”

In the United States, the cases have increased to 168 in 2023 compared to 141 in the previous year.

The major mode of infection transfer is through coughing, sneezing, or spitting – the infections spread rapidly in crowds where people are in close reach. In addition, some conditions, including diabetes or a weakened immune system, act as the catalyst for the spread of the disease.

Loeffler further mentioned, “If you spent a lot of time in an area where TB is very common or have risk factors that suppress your immune system, then you should be talking to your doctor about under what circumstances you should be tested.”

The current hike might depend on several factors!

The health experts have mentioned that the recent hike is due to various factors. She said, “They went along with their symptoms for a while until they became progressively more and more ill. What we’re seeing now might be the progression of that active disease that was never identified earlier. Now they’re presenting for care at a time when their symptoms are more severe,” as per the Mercury News.

Loeffler further mentioned that in addition to COVID-19, health officials are also focusing on other infections, which are causing health crises across the world. She also mentioned that another factor contributing to the increase of the infection is people not wearing face masks.

Visual Representation for transmission of TB between infected and healthy person | Credits: CDC

“People are out in the world more, and mixing,” she was further quoted saying.

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