King County says tuberculosis cases have doubled this year
11:59 AM PDT on Saturday, May 19, 2007
Associated Press
SEATTLE - Tuberculosis cases have doubled in King County this year when compared to the same period last year, health officials said.
Most cases have affected foreign-born residents, and health officials do not think there is a threat of spread to other parts of the community.
Health workers are overwhelmed with the TB case load, however, and need more help, said Dr. Masa Narita, director of TB control for Public Health -- Seattle & King County.
From January through March, 38 TB cases were reported, compared with 18 in the same period last year. In 2006, the annual total was up 16 percent from 2005, to 145 cases. Eighty percent of TB patients in King County were foreign-born.
"It is concerning, and we have to continue the thorough job we're doing with case management and timely ... investigations," Narita said.
Immigration from countries where TB is widespread -- Eastern Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia -- has increased at the same time TB cases in King County have risen.
Worldwide, about a third of the population is infected with TB, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. Nearly 2 million die of TB in the world each year.
It costs a minimum of $7,000 to treat each TB patients, but for those rare individuals who are resistant to the most common drugs, treatment can cost up to $250,000 a patient. About two patients a year in King County are drug resistant.

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