1977 — Tuberculosis, US death rate 1.35 per 100K, esp. DC/4.24, TN/2.8, KY/2.2, LA/2.2–2,968

–2,968  CDC Wonder. Compressed Mortality File, 1968-1978. ICD-8[1] codes 010-019.

(Yellow highlighting denotes above average death rate.)

Alabama                      76      2.01

Alaska                             4      1.00

Arizona                         43      1.77

Arkansas                       40      1.81

California                   235      1.05

Colorado                       18      0.67

Connecticut                  22      0.71

Delaware                         4      0.67

District of Columbia     29      4.24

Florida                        164      1.84

Georgia                        95      1.82

Hawaii                          10      1.09

Idaho                               2      0.23

Illinois                        170      1.49

Indiana                                      77      1.42

Iowa                              17      0.58

Kansas                          15      0.65

Kentucky                      79      2.21

Louisiana                      88      2.19

Maine                              9      0.81

Maryland                      70      1.67

Massachusetts              57      0.99

Michigan                      97      1.06

Minnesota                     21      0.53

Mississippi                   45      1.83

Missouri                       66      1.36                                         Pennsylvania              183            1.54

Montana                          4      0.52                                         Rhode Island                   8            0.84

Nebraska                       15      0.96                                         South Carolina              46            1.54

Nevada                            7      1.03                                         South Dakota                  3            0.43

New Hampshire              8      0.92                                         Tennessee                   123            2.79

New Jersey                 103      1.40                                         Texas                          180            1.36

New Mexico                 19      1.55                                         Utah                                7            0.53

New York                   270      1.51                                        Vermont                          6            1.22

North Carolina              90      1.59                                         Virginia                        72            1.38

North Dakota                  3      0.46                                         Washington                  29            0.77

Ohio                            105      0.97                                        West Virginia               37            1.94

Oklahoma                     44      1.53                                         Wisconsin                     35            0.48

Oregon                                      16      0.66                                         Wyoming                        2      0.48

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 (1977). Accessed 5-12-2019 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-8 is the 8^th 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.