Cases of childhood tuberculosis (TB) increased by 20 percent in Alabama over the last decade, despite a declining trend among children and adults nationwide, according to a recent study by Michael Kimerling, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at UAB.
Results of the study were published in the April issue of Pediatrics. The study shows that in nearly half of preventable cases the family did not report that the child had come in contact with someone who had TB. "If we can identify and prevent infections from developing to disease stage, we can prevent transmission from one person to another. But investigators need to work quickly. Unidentified, untreated cases represent a reservoir of potential disease transmission."
Contact Joy Carter, Media Relations, 205-934-1676 or [email protected].
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