Philadelphia reports a 'substantial increase' in tuberculosis cases
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health reports a “substantial increase” in tuberculosis (TB) cases recently.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, TB in the United States had been decreasing steadily since 1992. Throughout the pandemic there was a sharp decline in the number of TB cases diagnosed. Starting in 2021, cases began to rebound and have continued to increase since.
In 2023, 9,615 TB cases were provisionally reported across the 50 U.S. states and DC, representing a 16% increase (1,295 cases) from 2022.
In 2023, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health a total of 75 cases were reported in 2023, which represents a 70.5% increase compared to the 44 cases reported in 2022. Increases have been seen in both adult and pediatric populations.
As of May 29, 2024, 35 cases have been reported in Philadelphia in 2024.
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Tuberculosis is caused by organisms in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex of which M. tuberculosis is the most common. TB typically affects the lungs but can affect many other parts of the body (extrapulmonary disease) as well.
Extrapulmonary disease occurs more commonly in children. TB infection (TBI) was formerly referred to as latent TB (LTBI). TBI is infection that occurs when a person is infected with MTB but does not have active disease. Active TB disease occurs when MTB is replicating and causing symptoms. People who are immunosuppressed or have diabetes have a higher risk of developing active TB.
TB remains a significant cause of death nationally, with 602 TB-related deaths reported in 2021. Philadelphia also experiences a number of TBrelated fatalities each year.