Florida tuberculosis cases drop in last decade

The Florida Department of Health in Nassau County joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in recognizing World TB Day, which commemorates the discovery of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB), on Friday, March 24, according to a news release.

This year's theme was "United to End TB," and eliminating tuberculosis in Florida remains a priority for the department.

Tuberculosis is one of the world's deadliest diseases, and it is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which usually attacks the lungs, but can attack any part of the body, including the kidney, spine and brain. Latent TB can live within the body without making you sick. People with latent TB do not have symptoms, are not infectious and cannot make others sick.

TB is spread through the air, and symptoms of the disease include:

? A bad cough that lasts three weeks or longer;

? Pain in the chest;

? Coughing up blood or sputum; and

? Weakness or fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, chills, fever and sweating at night.

Through its statewide TB program and its support of the Florida System of Tuberculosis Care, the department is making significant strides toward its goal to eliminate TB in the state. Cases of TB in Florida have gone down by 35 percent, from 988 cases in 2007 to 639 in 2016. From 2007 through 2016, Nassau County had a total of nine TB cases.

The department has implemented improved testing and treatment technologies, such as video directly observed therapy, making it easier for clients to successfully complete therapy.

To explore resources relating to TB and lean more, visit www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-andconditions/tuberculosis/index.html.

For additional information about World TB Day 2017, visit www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday.