The status of tuberculosis control in New York City

Problems in tuberculosis control still exist in New York City. They range from an increase in the incidence of the disease to the discovery of new cases in children under 5 years of age. Ninety-three percent (1,395) of the cases reported in 1980 were verified by cultures positive for tuberculosis. The rest of the cases in the 1980 tuberculosis disease count were verified by histology or a physician's recommendation for treatment with two or more antituberculosis drugs. Of the tuberculosis at extrapulmonary sites, pleural meningeal and miliary tuberculosis, as well as genitourinary tuberculosis, ranked high in incidence in 1980. New tuberculosis cases occurred in all age groups, but the 37 cases in the age group 0-4 years is alarming and indicates a high rate of transmission of tuberculosis from parents to children. Performance indicators of the Centers for Disease Control show that in terms of drug continuity, completion of treatment, and bacteriological conversions to negative, a great deal needs to be done in New York City. The tuberculosis mortality rate for the city has been showing a steady decline over the years; it was 1.8 per 100,000 population in 1980.