World TB Day 2015

March 24, 2015

Dear Colleagues,

Today is World TB Day. This day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about TB-related problems and solutions and to support worldwide efforts to control and eliminate this devastating disease. The U.S. World TB Day theme is “Find TB. Treat TB. Working together to eliminate TB.” Everyone has a role in ensuring that one day TB will be eliminated.

Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National TB Surveillance System indicate a total of 9,412 TB cases were reported in the United States in 2014, for a case rate of 3.0 per 100,000 population. Although the number of TB cases continues to decline, data suggest that progress may be slowing. The decline in the TB case rate from 2013 to 2014 is the smallest decline in more than a decade.

We are closer to our goal of elimination, but significant challenges remain. Achieving elimination will require a comprehensive approach. We must continue to address TB among the hardest hit populations—especially racial/ethnic minorities and foreign-born persons. And to move closer to elimination, we must also focus on latent TB infection.

The Division of Tuberculosis Elimination has developed a new infographic to highlight the renewed focus on latent TB infection. The infographic is available as a flyer (8.5 x11) and poster (11 x17) in electronic and high resolution versions for printing. The infographic is available at https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/infographic/default.htm.

Because TB can happen anywhere and to anyone, we must maintain our ability to fight TB whenever and where ever it occurs. CDC remains committed to the goal of TB elimination in the United States. Let’s continue to help people with TB get diagnosed and treated, and to identify and implement innovative strategies to improve testing and treatment. Thank you for all the work you do to help eliminate TB.

Sincerely,

/Jonathan Mermin/
Jonathan H. Mermin, M.D., MPH
Director
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/nchhstp

/Philip LoBue/
Philip LoBue, MD, FACP, FCCP
Director
Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/tb