Fact Sheet

Trends in Tuberculosis, 2012

Reported TB Cases, United States, 1982–2012. The resurgence of TB in the mid-1980s was marked by several years of increasing case counts until its peak in 1992. Case counts began decreasing again in 1993, and 2012 marked the twentieth year of decline in the total number of TB cases reported in the United States since the peak of the resurgence. From 1992 until 2002, the total number of TB cases decreased 5%–7% annually. From 2002 to 2003, however, the total number of TB cases decreased by only 1.4%. An unprecedented decrease occurred in 2009, when the total number of TB cases decreased by more than 10% from 2008 to 2009. In 2012, a total of 9,945 cases were reported from the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC). This represents a decline of 5.9% from 2012 and 69.2% from 1992.

TB Case Rates, United States, 2012. This map shows TB rates for 2012. Forty states reported a rate less than 3.2TB cases per 100,000, the 2012 national average. Ten states and DC reported a rate above 3.2 TB cases per 100,000; these accounted for 61% of the national total in 2012 and have experienced substantial overall decreases in cases and rates from 1992 through 2012.

How many cases of tuberculosis (TB) were reported in the United States in 2012?

A total of 9,945 TB cases (a rate of 3.2 cases per 100,000 persons) were reported in the United States in 2012. Both the number of TB cases reported and the case rate decreased; this represents a 5.4% and 6.1% decline, respectively, compared to 2011. The number of reported TB cases in 2012 was the lowest recorded since national reporting began in 1953.

Is the rate of TB declining in the United States?

Yes. Since the 1992 TB resurgence peak in the United States, the number of TB cases reported annually has decreased.

How do the TB rates compare between U.S.-born persons and foreign-born persons living in the United States?

In 2012, a total of 63% of reported TB cases in the United States occurred among foreign-born persons. The case rate among foreign-born persons (15.9 cases per 100,000) in 2012 was approximately 11 times higher than among U.S.-born persons (1.4 cases per 100,000).

How many people died from TB in the United States?

There were 569 deaths from TB in 2010, the most recent year for which these data are available. Compared to 2000 data, when 776 deaths from TB occurred, this represents a 27% decrease in TB deaths over a decade.

What are the rates of TB for different racial and ethnic populations†?

American Indians or Alaska Natives: 6.3 cases per 100,000 persons
Asians: 18.9 cases per 100,000 persons
Blacks or African Americans: 5.8 cases per 100,000 persons
Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders: 12.3 cases per 100,000 persons
Hispanics or Latinos: 5.3 cases per 100,000 persons
Whites: 0.8 cases per 100,000 persons

† For this report, persons identified as white, black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, or of multiple races are all non-Hispanic. Persons identified as Hispanic may be of any race.

Is multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) on the rise?

Since 1993, when the TB surveillance system was expanded to include drug-susceptibility results, reported multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB cases have decreased in the United States. Among culture-positive TB cases in the United States with initial drug-susceptibility testing results, the percentage of MDR TB cases decreased slightly from 1.6% (127 cases) in 2011 to 1.1% (83 cases) in 2012.
Since 1998, the percentage of U.S.-born patients with MDR TB has remained below 1.0%. However, of the total number of reported primary MDR TB cases, the proportion occurring in foreign-born persons increased from 31.0% (149 of 480) in 1993 to 87.8% (72 of 82) in 2012.

How are TB data collected?

Data on TB cases are reported to CDC from 60 reporting areas, including the 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and seven other U.S. jurisdictions in the Pacific and Caribbean. These cases must meet the CDC/Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists case definition. When cases are reported, specific information is provided about the person with TB. This includes the person’s race, ethnicity (either Hispanic or non-Hispanic), treatment information, and when available, drug-susceptibility test results. CDC calculates national and state TB rates, and rates for foreign-born, U.S.-born, and racial/ethnic populations. These calculations use U.S. census population estimates for the years 1993 through 2012.

Where can I find TB data for my state?

The most recent surveillance report, Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2011, has TB data from the 60 reporting areas. If you need additional state-specific data not available in this report, you can contact your state TB control office.

References

CDC. Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2012

. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, October 2012.
Available at http://www.cdc.gov/tb/statistics/reports/2012/default.htm