Burden of Respiratory Infection and Tuberculosis Among US States from 1990 to 2019

To estimate the incidence, death, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and attributable risk factors for respiratory infection and tuberculosis (RIT) in the US from 1990 to 2019.

Following the methodology framework and analytical strategies used in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, the incidence, death, DALYs and risk factors of RIT were examined by age, gender and states from 1990 to 2019 in the US. All estimates were calculated as counts, age-standardized rates per 100,000 people and percentage change, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

In 2019, the age-standardized incidence, death and DALY rates per 100,000 people of RIT were 339,703 (95% CI 303,184 to 382,354), 13.6 (95% CI 12.2 to 14.4) and 384.9 (95% CI 330.6 to 458.6), respectively. Among RIT causes, upper respiratory infection accounted for the large majority of RIT age-standardized incidence rate, while lower respiratory infection constituted the highest proportion of RIT age-standardized death and DALY rates. The age-standardized incidence, death and DALY rates of RIT in 2019 and their temporal trends since 1990 varied widely across states and socio-demographic index. Among all attributable risk factors, smoking was the leading one for age-standardized RIT deaths in 2019, followed by low temperature and alcohol use (the attributable fractions were 17.7%, 15.3% and 6.9%, respectively).

Our results suggest that RIT remained a major cause of health burden in the US, with large disparities persisting between US states. Intervention efforts for RIT hotspots, high-risk populations and modifiable risk factors are necessary.