CALIFORNIA: Contra Costa Battles Rise in Tuberculosis Cases

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

CALIFORNIA: Contra Costa Battles Rise in Tuberculosis Cases

Oakland Tribune (03.23.04) - Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Tamara Grippi

A 19 percent increase in tuberculosis cases in Contra Costa indicates the county must stay vigilant to keep the disease in check, public health officials said. In 2003, the Contra Costa Public Health Department documented 82 TB cases, compared with 69 cases in 2002. Officials were particularly concerned to see a near doubling of cases in the county's Latino community last year, from 10 in 2002 to 19 in 2003.

After successfully squelching a TB outbreak in Richmond and North Richmond over the last few years, the Health Department is now focusing its efforts on the immigrant population in Bay Point, Pittsburg and Antioch. "Tuberculosis screening and treatment needs to be clearly available for undocumented immigrants as well as legal immigrants," said Public Health Director Wendel Brunner. "We don't want anyone with tuberculosis to ignore or conceal the problems." Brunner added that employing Spanish-speaking personnel and working with immigrant organizations will be critical to getting the message out to at- risk groups.

Contra Costa's 19 percent increase last year contrasts with a 2 percent increase of cases statewide. In 2003, California reported 3,230 TB cases, up from 3,169 cases in 2002.

Contra Costa reported just one death from TB last year - a patient who, contrary to a physician's advice, waited two years to obtain treatment. Seven additional TB patients died of other causes.
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