Multnomah County’s team is marking the fight against tuberculosis today by sharing information on World TB Day 2016.
Although many people think tuberculosis no longer occurs, active TB disease kills more adults worldwide than any other infectious disease, public health officials say. In 2014, there were 1.5 million TB-related deaths globally. About one-third of the world’s population is infected with latent TB infection, the silent precursor to active TB disease. Early detection and treatment are paramount in reducing the global burden.
The Multnomah County Health Department works daily with healthcare providers and community partners to eliminate TB. In 2015, the Multnomah County TB Program worked with Portland area providers to evaluate 71 possible cases of active TB disease. Of those evaluated, 26 people were diagnosed with TB and on track to be cured with several months of antibiotics. One person died of TB, "a sad fact showing more needs to be done,'' said Amy Sullivan, manager of Community Disease Services.
“Because of our urban demographic, Multnomah County has a disproportionate number of Oregon's TB cases -- about a third of the cases compared to about a fifth of the population,’’ Sullivan said. “This gives us a special responsibility in the state and national fight against TB. We have amazing staff here who work to prevent TB every day. “
Nursing supervisor Laura Reynolds said the providers at Multco’s Mid County Health Center are an especially important partner over the last year. They have played a crucial role in quickly diagnosing new cases of active TB and screening and treating many patients who were exposed to a potentially infectious individual last summer. It is through these types of partnerships that we will be able to meet the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating TB by 2050, Reynolds said.
Russell Barlow, a TB epidemiologist with the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, said over the last 20 years, TB disease has become less common nationally and in Oregon. Since 2011, the rate of TB disease in Oregon has remained relatively constant. In 2015, Oregon had 76 cases of TB disease corresponding to about 2 cases for every 100,000 Oregon residents.
Barlow says the low rate of TB disease in Oregon can be attributed to:
Disease surveillance
Rapidly initiating treatment and directly observed therapy (DOT) completion
Screening tests for those at high risk.
Screening immigrants if testing shows evidence of TB disease or exposure.
Educating healthcare providers.
Additional information about TB disease in Oregon during 2015 can be found here.