MONDAY, May 4, 2026 (NewsDay News) — Fifty large outbreaks of tuberculosis (TB) have been identified in 23 states between 2017 and 2023, mostly in US-born individuals, according to a study published in the April 30 issue of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report.
Kala M. Raz, MPH, of the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues describe major TB outbreaks from 2017 to 2023 using national TB and genomic data.
The researchers identified 50 large TB outbreaks with 10 or more TB-related cases over a three-year period, involving 1,092 cases in 23 states. The researchers found that compared to 61,993 other people diagnosed with TB during the period, those included in the large outbreak were more likely to have been born in the US (79 vs. 26 percent) and were more likely to report drug use (27 vs. 12 percent), homelessness (9 vs. 5 percent), and incarceration (11 vs. 3 percent). About a quarter of the major cases associated with the outbreak were identified through contact tracing; these cases had fewer clinical signs of acute infectious disease than cases of large outbreaks identified by other methods (23 vs. 61 percent), indicating that contact tracing may facilitate earlier diagnosis. Of the 50 major withdrawals, 34 and 13 were associated with family or social networks and congregational settings, respectively.
“Prevention and response strategies must also address barriers to diagnosis and treatment associated with homelessness and substance use,” the authors wrote. “Furthermore, there is a need to build trust with affected individuals and communities directly and through partnerships with local organizations and service providers.”
