In 2008, a total of 12,898 incident tuberculosis (TB) cases were reported in the United States; the TB rate declined 3.8% from 2007 to 4.2 cases per 100,000 population, the lowest rate recorded since national reporting began in 1953. Foreign-born persons and racial/ethnic minorities continued to bear a disproportionate burden of TB disease in the United States. In 2008, the TB rate in foreign-born persons in the United States was 10 times higher than in US-born persons; TB rates among Hispanics and blacks were nearly 8 times higher than among non-Hispanic whites, and rates among Asians were nearly 23 times higher than among non-Hispanic whites. The proportion of TB cases that are multidrug resistant (MDR) has remained approximately 1% of culture-positive cases since 1997; however, MDR TB has continued to disproportionately affect foreign-born persons in the United States. The recommended length of drug therapy for most types of TB is 6 to 9 months.
(Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 20, 2009, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
