Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Tuberculosis Control Program
2001 Epidemiology Fact Sheet
Hispanic Tuberculosis Cases
- In the United States, in the year 2000, 3,805 TB cases were reported in Hispanics representing 23.2% of total 16,377 TB cases in the nation. The incidence of tuberculosis in the Hispanics was 11.5 cases per 100,000 population. 1
- In California, in the year 2001, 1,252 TB cases were reported in Hispanics representing 37.6% of the total 3,332 TB cases in the state. This represented a 4.5% (54 cases) increase compared to the year 2000 (1,198). 2
- In 2001, there were 1,046 TB cases reported in Los Angeles County (LAC). Of these, 489 were Hispanic TB cases representing 46.7% of the total TB cases in LAC. Hispanics have represented the racial/ethnic group with largest number of TB cases in LAC for the past several years. There has been no significant change in this proportion since 1996 (45%). 3
- In 2001, of the 489 Hispanic TB cases, 306 (62.6%) were male and 183 (37.4%) were female.
- The highest number of Hispanic TB cases was in the 15-34 year old age group with 174 cases (35.6%), followed by the 65 years and older age group with 82 cases (16.8%), the 35-44 year old age group with 71 cases (14.5%), the 45-54 year old age group with 66 cases (13.5%), the 55-64 year old age group with 56 cases (11.5%), the 0-4 year old age group with 24 cases (4.9%), and the 5-14 year old age group with 16 cases (3.3%).
- Of the 489 Hispanic TB cases, 398 cases (81%) were foreign-born. Most, 273 cases (55.8%), were born in Mexico, 43 cases (8.8%) in El Salvador, 35 cases (7.2%) in Guatemala, 14 cases (2.9%) in Peru, and 11 cases (2.3%) in Honduras. Eighty-nine Hispanic TB cases (18.2%) were born in the U.S.
- In 2001, there were 47 (9.6%) Hispanic TB cases co-infected with HIV. Hispanic TB cases co-infected with HIV accounted for 56% of the total 84 HIV co-infected TB cases in LAC.
- In 2001, of the 489 Hispanic TB cases, 43 (8.8%) were homeless. Of these, 31 cases (72.1%) were male and 31 cases (72.1%) were foreign-born.
- Four hundred and eight cases (83.4%) were diagnosed as pulmonary TB, and 81 cases (16.6%) as extra-pulmonary TB only.
1 CDC. Reported Tuberculosis in The United States, 2000
2 California Health and Human Services Agency: Report on Tuberculosis in California, 2001.
3 Epidemiology Services, TB Control Program, Department of Health and Services, Los Angeles County. Tuberculosis Epidemiology Assessment (TEAM) Report 2001; Volume 2002.