1989 — Tuberculosis, US death rate 0.80 per 100K, esp. DC/2.55; NY/1.63; LA/1.34 –1,970

–1,970  CDC Wonder. Compressed Mortality File, 1979-1998. ICD-9[1] code 010-018.[2]

 

Alabama                      43      1.07     (Yellow highlighting denotes above average death rate.)

Arizona                         23      0.63

Arkansas                       30      1.28

California                   236      0.81

Connecticut                  12      0.37

District of Columbia     16      2.55

Florida                        152      1.20

Georgia                        55      0.86

Illinois                          89      0.78

Indiana                                      32      0.58

Kansas                          11      0.44

Kentucky                      43      1.14

Louisiana                      57      1.34

Maryland                      25      0.53

Massachusetts              25      0.41

Michigan                      46      0.50

Mississippi                   26      1.01

Missouri                       21      0.41

New Jersey                   90      1.16

New Mexico                 10      0.66

New York                   293      1.63

North Carolina              59      0.90

Ohio                              62      0.57

Oklahoma                     28      0.89

Oregon                                      14      0.50

Pennsylvania                81      0.68

South Carolina              42      1.21

Tennessee                     60      1.23

Texas                          130      0.77

Virginia                        23      0.38

Washington                  18      0.38

West Virginia               10      0.55

Wisconsin                     30      0.62                 US population size used — 247,158,528

 

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. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.

 

“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. From there, 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 and Archives. Disasters in Tennessee. “Epidemic Scourges in Tennessee.” Nashville.)

 

Sources

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1979-1998. CDC Wonder Online Database, released 2003. ICD-9 Codes 010-018, Tuberculosis (1989). Accessed 1-25-2019 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

[1] ICD-9 is the 9th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, a medical classification list by the World Health Organization — International Classification of Diseases for short.

[2] States not listed indicates deaths were under ten and thus not noted by the CDC. Puerto Rico not included by CDC.