Tuberculosis surges in US after decades-long decline

Tuberculosis rates in the U.S. rose by 16% in 2023, marking the third year cases went up following nearly 30 years of decline, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The number of TB cases in 2023 totaled 9,615, a jump of 1,295 over 2022. The last time annual TB cases in the U.S. were higher than 9,500 was in 2012, when 9,906 were detected. Cases had declined for 27 years, reaching a record low of 7,171 in 2020 before creeping back up.

TB is a bacterial infection that can attack any organ in the body, though it usually affects the lungs. 

Read more: CDC

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