A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report says there were 202 cases of tuberculosis in children ages 4 and younger in 2022, up from 160 the year before.
That’s a 26 percent increase, according to the report dated March 24.
In a news release, the CDC says cases in that age group are usually the result of recent transmission rather than reactivation of a longstanding latent infection.
Overall, the CDC reports that 8,300 cases of TB were identified, a 5 percent increase from 2021.
Although there was a case increase, the numbers did not return to pre-COVID levels, the report says. Health officials attributed that to delayed or missed diagnoses in 2020, following a substantial 20% decline that year.
The new data signal a rebound in cases and with considerable increases among the 4-and-younger group, the Hispanic, Latino, African American and Asian population, and people who are incarcerated.
Certain medical conditions and geographic locations contribute to disparities, the CDC says.
The Washington Post reports more on the CDC report in this article.
