Andy East | The Republic
Bartholomew County saw a nearly 122% increase in tuberculosis diagnoses in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Most of the diagnoses were for latent TB, meaning the infected individuals were carrying the bacterium that causes the disease but hadn’t become ill and couldn’t transmit it, according to data from the Bartholomew County Health Department.
At the same time, there also were 10 active cases of TB reported in the county from Jan. 1, 2022 to this past Feb. 29, meaning that these individuals were actively ill and contagious.
In 2023, there were a total of 71 TB diagnoses in Bartholomew County, including 67 cases of latent TB and four cases of active TB, according to county records.
By comparison, there were a total of 32 TB diagnoses in 2022, including 27 cases of latent TB and five active cases. Additionally, there were 12 cases of latent TB and one active case during the first two months of this year.
“We have been having an increase in TB for the last few years,” said Amanda Organist, director of nursing at the Bartholomew County Health Department.
Tuberculosis, or TB, is a bacterial infection that mainly attacks the lungs, though it can affect other parts of the body, including the kidney, spine and brain according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The illness spreads through respiratory droplets when a person coughs, sneezes or sings and can be transmitted easily in crowds or among people living in crowded conditions.
However, not everyone infected with TB bacteria gets sick, according to the CDC. These people develop what is called latent TB. While many people who have a latent TB infection never develop symptoms or feel sick, some people will transition to active TB disease.
Symptoms of active TB disease in the lungs usually begin gradually and worsen over a few weeks, including cough, coughing up blood or mucus, chest pain, fever, chills, among several others, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Most TB infections can be treated with antibiotics, though some forms of the bacteria no longer respond well to treatments. The illness can be fatal if not treated properly. Public health officials urge people who have latent or active TB to get treatment.
TB is the second leading infectious cause of death worldwide after COVID-19, killing 1.3 million people globally in 2022, according to the World Health Organization.
The American Lung Association estimates that about a quarter of the world’s population is infected with tuberculosis, though most of these people have latent TB. About 10 million people globally have active TB.
Locally, most of the people who have tested positive for latent or active TB were originally from countries where the disease is more prevalent, said Bartholomew County Health Officer Dr. Brian Niedbalski.
In other parts of the U.S., TB outbreaks have been attributed to immigration from countries with higher incidence of the disease and a decline in screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Most cases of TB in Bartholomew County, just as in other parts of Indiana, occur in individuals who are originally from countries where TB is prevalent,” Niedbalski said. “Homelessness, incarceration and immuno-compromised states also increase the risk for TB.”
County health officials are urging people to get tested for TB, as “someone may have been exposed to someone with TB and not known it.”
On Thursday, the Bartholomew County Health Department will be offering free TB screenings and blood tests for anyone ages 18 and up at the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center, 1039 Sycamore St., from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
The department also offers TB testing at its office for anyone in the community and can bill insurance, or patients can pay $20 cash, Organist said.
“We are just trying to reach people where they are,” Organist said. “Just trying to provide the information and education to the community.”
“We can provide medication for both latent and active (TB) at no charge to the patient,” Organist added. “It is important to test for TB so that we can provide treatment.”
