On Monday, World TB Day, Mississippi health officials announced the state's rate of the disease has surpassed the national average for the first time. While the US TB rate has been declining for decades, the rate in Mississippi has been increasing since 2006, when TB figures climbed 12 percent.
"We're in danger of being in the top 10" states with the worst TB rates, said Dr. Ed Thompson, the state health officer.
Several factors could explain Mississippi's rate, say officials, including the loss of nurses who investigate TB cases and notify others suspected of being at risk.
"It's very hard for one person to do the work of 10 people," said Denise Castle, chief nurse for District 1, which covers nine counties in northwest Mississippi. "We may have one TB case that has 50 to 100 contacts. If I have one nurse trying to take care of this and working on other cases, it's a snowball effect."
Between 2002 and 2007, the number of nurses at the state Department of Health fell from 412 to 366. The department also lost restaurant inspectors and disease-intervention specialists, among others.
Thompson has cut administrative expenses to make hiring some nurses possible, although more are still needed. In addition, the department needs nurses' aides, disease investigators, and clerical staff, he said. Thompson is asking the Legislature for an additional $16 million "just to meet our basic health needs." The state has recently seen increases in STDs and infant mortality.
Sen. Alan Nunnelee (R-Tupelo), who chairs the appropriations committee, said he expects at least some of the funding the health department is requesting will be granted. "All budgets you're forced to make decisions and critical tradeoffs, but we're going to increase their budget some to give them the tools necessary to fight the serious health issues such as TB," he said.
03/24/08
Mississippi Tuberculosis Rate Surges Past National Average
Source: Clarion Ledger (Jackson):: Jerry Mitchell; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention