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Tuberculosis cases on the rise in Durham County

By LOVEMORE MASAKADZA, Staff Writer

THE ISSUE: Why does the Durham County Health Department need two more nurses to help fight tuberculosis?

STATUS: The Durham County Health Department spent $347,108 last year to fight tuberculosis and other communicable diseases. If the county commissioners approve the recommended 2005-06 budget Monday, that amount would rise to $515,088 with the addition of two more nurses. Of the total, $145,482 would come from a state grant.

THE DEAL: The number of TB cases in Durham County almost tripled last year, from 10 cases in 2003 to 27 cases in 2004.

So far this calendar year, there have been seven confirmed cases and six suspected cases, said Pam Weaver, public health clinical administrator.

ONLINE
www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/faqs/qa.htm

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria which attack the body and destroy tissues. It usually infects the lungs and can lead to death if it is not treated.

Symptoms can include a bad cough that lasts longer than two weeks, chest pain and coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs), according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Because it is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, "one case of TB can affect hundreds," Weaver said. When it gets a case, the Health Department tries to test people who have had contact with the infected person.

Treatment usually takes six to 12 months.

Health Director Brian Letourneau said that while many people consider TB to be an ancient disease, it is coming back. There were more than 14,000 cases in the country in 2003, according to the CDC.

He said infected immigrants from countries where the disease is common bring the disease to Durham County.

The six nurses in the TB program have been overwhelmed with the cases and follow-up investigative work, Weaver said.

Of the $347,108 allocated to this year's program, $284,563 was for nurses' salaries and benefits. If the new budget is approved, $455,472 of the $515,088 would go toward salaries and benefits. The rest would pay for the testing program, training and operational expenses.