🌍 As we progress through 2025, tuberculosis (TB) is making global headlines once again. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest Global Tuberculosis Report, 2023 witnessed over 8.2 million new TB diagnoses—the highest number ever recorded. Tragically, 1.25 million people lost their lives to this preventable disease across 192 countries.

 

🔎 Where Is TB Hitting Hardest?

The epidemic remains concentrated in five countries:

• India (26% of global cases)
• Indonesia (10%)
• China (6.8%)
• Philippines (6.8%)
• Pakistan (6.3%)

Together, these nations account for more than half of the global TB burden.

Across the WHO’s Southeast Asia, African, and Western Pacific Regions, the disease continues to spread at alarming rates. In Europe, more than 172,000 new or relapsed TB cases were recorded in 2023, while the Americas experienced a 20% rise in TB cases over the past five years.

 

🧒 Pediatric TB on the Rise

Children under 15 now make up 4.3% of new TB cases in the WHO European Region, marking a 10% increase from the previous year. The WHO estimates that 200,000 children die annually from TB.

Despite this burden:

• Only 36% of childhood TB cases are confirmed via laboratory diagnostics.
• Two-thirds of pediatric TB cases go undiagnosed or unreported.
• 67 million children worldwide are living with latent TB infection (LTBI), at risk of developing active TB.

🇺🇸 The U.S. Situation: Growing Numbers, Growing Challenges

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provisionally reported 10,347 TB cases in 2024—an 8% rise from 2023. Pediatric TB cases among 5–14-year-olds surged by 42%.

Persistent Disparities

• 76% of all 2023 TB cases occurred among non-U.S.-born individuals.
• American Indian and Alaska Native females experienced TB rates 14× higher than the national average.

 

🗺️ State-Level TB Trends

Here’s a snapshot of how TB is affecting different U.S. states:

📌 California: 2,113 cases (22% of all U.S. TB)
📌 Texas: 1,235 cases
📌 New York (including NYC): 894 cases
📌 Florida: 624 cases
📌 Kansas: 67 active and 79 latent TB cases linked to a multidrug-resistant outbreak
📌 Alaska: 12.8 per 100,000 population (among highest in U.S.)
📌 Arkansas: Over 100 cases in 2024—a 15-year high
📌 Massachusetts: From 154 in 2022 to 224 in 2023
📌 Illinois (Chicago): 353 TB cases in 2023
📌 Michigan: 140 cases in 2023; new zoonotic TB cases linked to deer and cattle

 

🌐 Regional Snapshots

🔴 Americas:

• 325,000 people fell ill from TB in 2023.
• Mexico: 31,000 cases.
• Canada: 1,971 TB cases in 2022.

⚫ Africa:

• In South Africa, nearly 10% of unvaccinated children may develop TB by age 10.
• Countries like Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo remain among the most heavily burdened.

🔵 Europe:

• 220,000 cases in the WHO Europe Region in 2022.
• The EU/EEA is not on track to meet its 2030 TB eradication target.

🟡 Southeast Asia:

• India alone recorded nearly 3 million cases in 2021.
• Significant declines noted in TB-related deaths among people living with HIV.

 

🧫 Zoonotic Tuberculosis

TB isn’t just a human-to-human threat. Zoonotic TB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is an emerging concern:

• 140,000 global cases annually
• Over 11,000 deaths
• Spread from livestock to humans—recently seen in Michigan via deer-to-human transmission

 

⚗️ Innovation & Testing

Exciting developments are reshaping TB diagnostics:

🧪 Rapid Point-of-Care Testing: A smartphone-sized device now delivers results in under an hour.
🧪 Molecular Screening (IGRA): Expanded by the CDC in 2024 for adults entering the U.S.
🧪 Transcriptomic Fingerstick Test: Promising results in distinguishing childhood TB.
🧪 AI-Powered Cough Analysis: Detects TB-linked cough patterns linked to bacterial burden.

The TB testing market is projected to reach $2.7 billion by 2027, growing at over 6% CAGR.

 

🔭 Looking Forward: Act Now to Prevent What’s Next

Tuberculosis has outlasted pandemics, survived wars, and evolved alongside humanity. Today, its resurgence signals more than a health crisis—it’s a call for global solidarity, innovation, and urgency.

Key actions going forward:

• Boost screening and awareness, especially among children and high-risk populations
• Address drug resistance through updated treatment protocols
• Prioritize TB in vulnerable communities, including shelters and migrant groups
• Expand access to diagnostic tools and vaccine research

We must meet TB with the same vigor as any modern-day epidemic—because in 2025, the fight is far from over.

 

📚 Reference:
Source – Vax Before Travel: Tuberculosis Outbreaks Update