Tuberculosis: Epidemiology, Incidence, Prevalence, and Prevention

Tuberculosis
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Tuberculosis
The Epidemiology Triangle
The epidemiology triangle or triad is a scientific tool used by epidemiologists to explain how a disease is spread (Timmreck, 2002). The triangle consists of a host, agent, and the environment. By addressing each of these points, epidemiologists can conduct epidemiologic investigations, therefore, identifying the best intervention to prevent the transmission of the disease (Scholthof, 2007). For tuberculosis (TB), the agent is mycobacterium. The host is the human being and the environment public gatherings, and communal settings (Ciesielski et al., 1991).
Descriptive Epidemiology
Tuberculosis starts in the lungs of a human being but can affect the entire body. Scientific records show that the disease can be traced as far back as 2400 BC (McCray et al., 1997). However, it was in the nineteenth century that a serious outbreak of the disease occurred. In Europe, the disease killed one in every seven persons. As major cities in the United States (U.S.) became overpopulated, the disease spread into the country. Currently, there are more than two billion people who are infected with the disease. In 2007 alone, there were more than 1.5 million deaths as a result of TB (Young et al., 2016). In today’s society, there are even more potential areas for the spread of TB. Still, healthcare workers are applying as much effort to prevent the spread of the fatal disease. In the U.S., the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2009, the number of TB cases had reduced by 4.2% (Young et al., 2016). The risk of more infections is now attributed to HIV illnesses, increased immigration from countries with high incidences of TB, and transmission in high-risk settings such as correctional facilities and homeless shelters (Young et al., 2016).
Incidence and Prevalence of The Disease in The United States
According to the CDC, the U.S. is experiencing a decline in the number of TB cases (CDC, 2019). Still, this is not enough to achieve America’s goal as regards to TB, which is absolute elimination of the disease in the twenty-first century. Eliminating the disease requires an interruption of its transmission while also applying efforts to prevent hidden TB infection. As of 2018, the number of TB cases stood at 9,025. This was a 0.7% decrease from 2017 (CDC, 2019). Also, as of 2018, the incidence rate at the national level was 2.8 cases for every 100,000 persons. This was also a decrease of 1.7% from the number recorded in 2017 (CDC, 2019).
The prevalence of TB in the country has also been attributed to drug resistance. According to CDC records, the number of drug-resistant TB cases has remained constant over the last two decades (CDC, 2019). When TB becomes drug-resistant, it means that the drug is not strong enough to kill the mycobacterium. This poses a significant threat to the healthcare sector’s ability to control TB. In 2018, isoniazid (INH) resistance was the most common. It occurred in 605 cases countrywide (CDC, 2019).
Based on a careful analysis, the CDC found that half of all TB cases reported in 2018 wer...