With local landmarks lit up red today on World Tuberculosis Day March 24, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health encourages residents to get tested for tuberculosis or TB, a deadly disease that can be dormant—or latent—for many years.
World TB Day is a global reminder to encourage residents and communities who are at elevated risk for TB, or who are experiencing symptoms, to get tested.
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease that spreads among people sharing the same air space. But for many people with a latent tuberculosis infection or LTBI, the TB germs are dormant in their body; the germs have not yet made them sick, and these people are not yet contagious. If the TB germs become active and multiply, the infection may lead to spread to others and serious illness or death. Testing is crucial to identify LTBI and to start early treatment to prevent the onset of tuberculosis disease. COVID-19 infections in TB patients and survivors also increases risk of death.
In recent years, Los Angeles County has recorded some of the largest numbers of TB cases in the U.S. In 2020, 459 cases were reported, the highest in the nation, with higher case rates in Latinx, Asian, and Black multigenerational households. Additionally, 90% of County TB Cases were identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Latinx. In recent years, the County also has reported outbreaks indicating local transmission among people experiencing homelessness and among individuals with substance abuse and HIV or who were incarcerated.
To get tested, see Public Health’s TB Control program website at ph.lacounty.gov/tb, talk to your healthcare provider, or if you don’t have health insurance visit dhs.laounty.gov/my-health-la/.