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Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/04/tuberculosis-cases-rising-new-york-00119878
New York City struggling to contain rising tuberculosis cases
Budget cuts and understaffing are delaying the city’s ability to handle an increase in tuberculosis patients.
By Maya Kaufman
10/04/2023 02:22 PM EDT
NEW YORK — The understaffed agency charged with monitoring tuberculosis in New York City is struggling to respond to new cases — fueling fears of a resurgence decades after the nation got TB under control.
The city has confirmed about 500 cases of active tuberculosis so far this year, an increase of roughly 20 percent from the same time last year, according to internal preliminary data reviewed by POLITICO. That rate would make it the worst year in a decade.
There are worryingly long waits for treatment at city-run TB clinics, said three employees of the city Department of Health’s Bureau of Tuberculosis Control. And matters could grow worse as the weather turns cold, increasing the likelihood TB and other respiratory illnesses may spread.
“When there are particularly high spikes in TB and other infectious diseases in New York City, that tends to be kind of a bellwether for the rest of the country,” said Elizabeth Lovinger, a health policy director at Treatment Action Group, a public health advocacy group with a focus on TB...
New York City struggling to contain rising tuberculosis cases
Budget cuts and understaffing are delaying the city’s ability to handle an increase in tuberculosis patients.
By Maya Kaufman
10/04/2023 02:22 PM EDT
NEW YORK — The understaffed agency charged with monitoring tuberculosis in New York City is struggling to respond to new cases — fueling fears of a resurgence decades after the nation got TB under control.
The city has confirmed about 500 cases of active tuberculosis so far this year, an increase of roughly 20 percent from the same time last year, according to internal preliminary data reviewed by POLITICO. That rate would make it the worst year in a decade.
There are worryingly long waits for treatment at city-run TB clinics, said three employees of the city Department of Health’s Bureau of Tuberculosis Control. And matters could grow worse as the weather turns cold, increasing the likelihood TB and other respiratory illnesses may spread.
“When there are particularly high spikes in TB and other infectious diseases in New York City, that tends to be kind of a bellwether for the rest of the country,” said Elizabeth Lovinger, a health policy director at Treatment Action Group, a public health advocacy group with a focus on TB...