TB Still A Widespread Problem Among Inmates, USA

Main Category: Tuberculosis
Article Date: 10 Oct 2005 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Despite some improvements in tuberculosis infection control in prisons and jails, TB infection remains a troubling health problem.

A study of U.S. surveillance data from 1993-2003 showed 3.7 percent of all TB cases were reported within the correctional system. TB case rates for federal and state prisons were 29.4 and 24.3 per 100,000, respectively, compared to 6.7 per 100,000 in the general population. Inmates with TB also are more likely than the general population to forgo treatment, according to the study.

(From: "An Unanswered Health Disparity: TB Among Correctional Inmates: 1993-2003." Jessica MacNeil, MPH, Massachusetts Department of Public Health)

The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly journal of the American Public Health Association, the oldest organization of public health professionals in the world. APHA is a leading publisher of public health-related books and periodicals promoting high scientific standards, action programs and policy for good health. More information is available at http://www.apha.org.

• Additional
• References
• Citations