2.5 –3,513

lornajarrettblanchard January 1, 1974

–3,513 CDC Wonder. Compressed Mortality File, 1968-1978. ICD-8 codes 010-019.

Alabama 83 2.29 (Yellow highlighting denotes above average death rate. )
Alaska 8 2.32
Arizona 55 2.47
Arkansas 34 1.62
California 252 1.19
Colorado 25 0.98
Connecticut 31 1.01
Delaware 12 2.06
District of Columbia 37 5.13 (Higher death rate than any state in the U.S.)
Florida 154 1.85
Georgia 95 1.90
Hawaii 8 0.92
Idaho 4 0.49
Illinois 172 1.53
Indiana 69 1.29
Iowa 26 0.91
Kansas 26 1.15
Kentucky 95 2.74 (2nd highest death rate in the country.)
Louisiana 84 2.20
Maine 12 1.13
Maryland 75 1.92
Massachusetts 75 1.30
Michigan 143 1.57
Minnesota 29 0.74
Mississippi 45 1.89
Missouri 96 2.01
Montana 16 2.17 Rhode Island 10 1.05
Nebraska 9 0.59 South Carolina 66 2.32
Nevada 3 0.50 South Dakota 6 0.88
New Hampshire 5 0.61 Tennessee 110 2.62
New Jersey 147 2.01 Texas 203 1.65
New Mexico 23 2.03 Utah 7 0.58
New York 357 1.98 Vermont 8 1.69
North Carolina 108 1.98 Virginia 86 1.73
North Dakota 8 1.26 Washington 29 0.82
Ohio 135 1.26 West Virginia 40 2.21
Oklahoma 52 1.90 Wisconsin 45 0.99
Oregon 31 1.36 Wyoming 7 1.92
Pennsylvania 255 2.15
Narrative Information

Tuberculosis: “Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease….TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.

“TB is NOT spread by: Shaking someone’s hand. Sharing food or drink.
Touching bed lines or toilet seats. Sharing toothbrushes.
Kissing.

“When a person breathes in TB bacteria, the bacteria can settle in the lungs and begin to grow… they can move through the blood to other parts of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain.

“TB disease in the lungs or throat can be infectious. This means that the bacteria can be spread to other people. TB in other parts of the body, such as the kidney or spine, is usually not infectious.

“People with TB disease are most likely to spread it to people they spend time with every day. This includes family members, friends, and coworkers or schoolmates.” (CDC. Tuberculosis (TB). 3-20-2016 update.)

Tuberculosis: “Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease and was greatly feared well into the 20th century. Frequently called “consumption,” TB was often fatal. By 1943 it was the No. 3 cause of death in Tennessee. The “White Plague,” so named because of its strikingly pale victims, carried a social stigma similar to that of AIDS in recent years. …residents fought the location of a TB hospital in their neighborhood, claiming that property values would plummet.

“Tuberculosis is a contagious lung disease (though it can attack other parts of the body) spread through the air. It is highly controlled today with early detection and antibiotics. Around 1900, the average hospital stay for a TB patient was three years….” (Tennessee State Library.)

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1968-1978. CDC Wonder Online Database, released 2000. ICD-8 Codes 010-019, Tuberculosis (1974). Accessed 12-22-2021 via: https://wonder.cdc.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tuberculosis (TB). 3-20-2016 update. Accessed 10-16-2018 at: https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/basics/default.htm

Tennessee State Library and Archives. Disasters in Tennessee. “Epidemic Scourges in Tennessee.” Nashville. Accessed 10-18-2013 at: http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/exhibits/disasters/epidemics.htm