World Tuberculosis Day 2025
March 24, 2025 San Joaquin County Public Health Services (PHS) recognizes World TB Day, observed on March 24th to commemorate the day the tuberculosis bacterium was discovered by Dr. Robert Koch in 1882. In honor of this day, PHS reminds residents and medical providers that while tuberculosis can be a deadly disease, it is preventable and curable. Prompt identification and treatment are essential.
The state of California has a TB incidence rate that is nearly double the national incidence rate. There was a total of 2,110 total active TB cases in California in 2023. In 2024, the number of cases remained consistent, with 2,100 total cases statewide. San Joaquin County was ranked 9th in the state in 2023 with a case rate of 6.3 per 100,000 persons. The case rate improved to 5.2 per 100,000 in 2024 and the county is now ranked 12th.
Dr. Maggie Park, San Joaquin County Public Health Services Public Health Officer and TB controller, said “We’re pleased to see a slight decline in our county’s TB case rate from 2023 to 2024, but we are 3 months into 2025 and already seeing a high rate of newly diagnosed TB cases. Some are quite complicated, and some patients are quite young. We just can’t let up on any of our efforts, because TB is still far from being eradicated.”
TB is a contagious disease that is spread through the air, from person to person, when someone with active TB coughs and those around them become infected when they breathe in the bacteria. Those with active TB will have symptoms such as cough with or without bloody sputum, fever or night sweats, weight loss, and fatigue, and they can continue to spread the disease. Some can live with TB infection without developing active TB symptoms (this is called latent TB), but 1 in 10 people with latent TB who are not treated will progress to active TB. This risk is even higher in people with immuno-compromised conditions or certain chronic diseases.
TB can be preventable. Unfortunately, the percentage of people with TB who die has been increasing, with TB killing more than 200 Californians each year. PHS emphasizes the need to treat latent TB cases, because the vast majority (83%) of TB cases are attributable to latent cases progressing to active TB. More than 2 million Californians are estimated to have latent TB, and their progression to active TB disease is preventable.
People who are more at risk for TB include:
• Close contacts of a person with infectious TB disease
• Persons who have immigrated from areas of the world with high rates of TB
• Children less than 5 years of age who have a positive TB test
• Groups with high rates of TB transmission, such as homeless persons, injection drug users, and those with HIV infection
• Persons who work or reside with people who are at high risk for TB in facilities or institutions such as hospitals, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and residential homes for those with HIV
• Persons with medical conditions that weaken the immune system
PHS Encourages Residents to Learn About TB and Get Care:
- Evaluate your risk for TB: Am I at Risk?
- Ask your healthcare provider for testing if you feel you are at increased risk or have been exposed to someone with TB, or have symptoms of TB
- If you are diagnosed with TB:
- Follow the recommendations of your healthcare provider and local public health department to isolate yourself from others while you are still infectious.
- Don’t forget to keep following up with your healthcare provider and public health case managers to keep track of TB symptoms and response to medicine.
- Whether you are being treated for acute or latent TB infection, complete all your medication as prescribed. Incomplete treatment can lead to TB bacterial resistance, return of symptoms, or even hospitalization and death.
World TB Day gives us an opportunity to thank health care providers, community partners, and our own public health staff, who are at the forefront of the fight to end TB. Let us dedicate ourselves to this year’s World TB Day theme: “Yes! We can end TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”!
Resources:
Am I at Risk? https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Am-I-at-Risk.aspx
More TB Information https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/TB-in-California-2024-Snapshot.aspx