Page 14 - Delaware Medical Journal - March/April 2020

It’s Time to Test and Treat Latent TB Infection
Crystal Vicidomini, MSN/MBA, RN; Martin Luta, MD; Rick Hong, MD Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, the day we commemorate Dr. Robert Koch and his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is March 24, 2020. The theme of World TB Day 2020 is: “IT’S TIME” – time to test and treat latent TB infection (LTBI) and to recognize the crucial role that providers play in controlling and eliminating TB in the U.S.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the 10th leading cause of death worldwide in 2016 was TB disease.1
In 2018, Delaware had 22 cases of TB disease, and an incidence rate of 2.3 cases per 100,000 population, which is lower than the national incidence rate of 2.8 cases per 100,000.2 To keep Delaware’s incidence rates low, providers must be aware of TB symptoms and risk factors, test when appropriate, and manage suspect cases appropriately. The Delaware TB Program, based within the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health (DPH), is here to support community providers.
62 Del Med J | March/April 2020 | Vol. 92 | No. 2
Abstract