TB rates among U.S. children have declined by almost half, but disparities persist

Rates of tuberculosis have declined by almost half in U.S. children, according to a new analysis. The rate of TB went from 1.4 cases per 100,000 children in 2007 down to 0.8 cases per 100,000 children in 2017, a 47% drop overall during that decade. But racial and geographical disparities remain: Indigenous children, for instance, had a rate of more than 14 cases per 100,000, compared to 0.1 cases per 100,000 among white children. Despite their small population, TB cases on U.S. islands accounted for roughly 15% of the more than 6,000 cases between 2007-2017. Rates of mortality from TB were also disproportionately high among this population. More sensitive diagnostics for children could help address some of the disparities, the authors write.