SANTA CLARA, Calif. -In the past two years, the Bay Area has shown a significant rise in cases of tuberculosis, including a rise within the Asian community.
Sixty-eight percent of active tuberculosis cases in Santa Clara County in 2007 occurred in the Asian population, according to Dr. Julie Higashi, Deputy Health Officer and Tuberculosis Controller for the Santa Clara County Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Program.
Santa Clara County experienced a 5.7 percent increase in active tuberculosis cases in 2007, and the county’s active rate of 13.4 per 100,000 people far outpaces the state (7.2) and national (4.4) rates.
The case rate of active tuberculosis in Asian and Pacific Islanders in Santa Clara County was nearly ten times the rate of the general population in the United States. In fact, the county alone has more cases of tuberculosis in the general community than 35 states in the U.S.
Dr. Dan Shin, an infectious disease specialist in Santa Clara County, estimated 90 percent of the tuberculosis patients he treats come from Asian countries.
The rise in tuberculosis in the Asian community may be due to migration, both foreign and domestic, according to Higashi. One-third of overall active tuberculosis cases are from those born abroad.
“In the Asian population I see this as a significant issue for both immigrants and people who have been here for decades,” she said. “People who have been here were probably infected earlier in their lives and as they get older and their immune system gets weaker, the tuberculosis reactivates.”
Tuberculosis is a bacterial lung disease that spreads through the air from one person to another
by coughing, sneezing, laughing or singing.
The disease can remain dormant in infected individuals for years without any symptoms. However, an infected individual who develops active tuberculosis disease can become very ill and extremely contagious. If left untreated, the disease can cause serious illness and even death.
Both Shin and Higashi emphasized that tuberculosis is a treatable and preventable disease and encouraged Asian Americans to get tested as soon as possible.
“Tuberculosis is still a public issue that our public health department has to work hard to provide effective control and for public safety,” said Higashi.
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By country of birth, percentages in total cases of active tuberculosis:
Vietnam 26%
Philippines 22%
India 14%
China 6%
Mexico 10%
Other 12% (e.g., Peru, Ethiopia, and countries with less than 5 TB cases)
U.S. 10
Source: Santa Clara County Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Program
