The article “Newcomer spreads TB to 56 people in rural area” (News, Nov. 12) serves as a chilling reminder that tuberculosis, a disease that has been around since time immemorial, has re-emerged as a major public health threat. Tuberculosis is now the second leading global infectious disease killer, contributing to the deaths of 2 to 3 million people each year worldwide. This year, more people will die of TB than in any other year in history. Although most deaths occur in developing nations, the U.S. is not immune to this lethal, airborne disease.
Sobering statistics indicate that as many as 50 million people worldwide and 15 million people in the U.S. alone carry TB bacteria. Increasing international travel and globalization demand that the U.S. no longer ignore the infectious disease that plagues other countries.
The World Health Organization estimates that it would take at least $100 million a year to tackle the TB epidemic. With such a daunting figure, the U.S. must step up now and help financially support effective treatment that will help curb the growing number of tuberculosis cases.
