Persons using assistive technology might not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please send e-mail to: mmwrq@cdc.gov. Type 508 Accommodation and the title of the report in the subject line of e-mail.
World TB Day --- March 24, 2004
World TB Day is March 24, 2004. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch
announced his discovery of the tuberculosis (TB) bacillus. Worldwide, TB remains a leading cause of death from infectious disease. An estimated 2 billion persons (i.e., one third of the world's population) are infected with the bacteria that cause TB. Each year, approximately 8 million persons become ill from TB; of these, 2 million die. World TB Day provides an opportunity for
TB programs, nongovernment organizations, and other partners to
describe TB-related problems and solutions and to support
TB-control efforts.
During 1985--1992, after years of decline, the number of TB cases reported in the United States increased 20%.
This resurgence was associated with 1) deterioration of the infrastructure for TB services; 2) immigration of persons from TB-endemic countries; and 3) a combination of the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic, TB transmission in
congregate settings (e.g., prisons), and outbreaks
of multidrug-resistant TB.
Renewed emphasis on TB control and prevention has produced substantial gains in the United States. However,
provisional data indicate that 2003 marked the smallest annual decline in new TB cases since 1992. These data raise concerns that increased efforts might be required to maintain the progress made in controlling TB.
CDC is committed to eliminating TB in the United States. Achieving this goal demands targeted interventions for populations at high risk, active involvement in the global fight against TB, and strong local programs. Additional information about World TB Day and CDC's TB-elimination activities is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/worldtb2004/default.htm.
Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply
endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of
the date of publication.
Disclaimer
All MMWR HTML versions of articles are electronic conversions from ASCII text
into HTML. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version.
Users should not rely on this HTML document, but are referred to the electronic PDF version and/or
the original MMWR paper copy for the official text, figures, and tables.
An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800.
Contact GPO for current prices.
**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to
mmwrq@cdc.gov.
