For decades, great strides have been made in the fight against TB but in recent years it has been on the rise.
While some may be quick to place the blame on lax immigration laws, the actual demographics of TB just don't back this line of thinking up.
For instance, Richmond California, a predominantly African American city located just outside of San Fransisco, now has a TB rate that equals that of many third world countries.
At the same time Latino farming communities in northern areas of the same state have TB rates that are equivalent to those of near by white, middle class, blue collar working communities.
Whos to Blame? So the argument can logically be made that it is not immigrants who are responsible for the rise in the TB rate, but rather Americans who choose to live promiscuous, antisocial lifestyles.
Can immigrants also be blamed for the three times higher than average rate of venereal disease and aids in African American communities as well? Targets the Lungs Rather than pointing the finger though, the best course to take to eliminate the scourge of TB is education and awareness.
TB is a disease caused by a bacterium commonly known as Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.
The organ that this bacterium effects primarily is the lungs, although it can and will attack other organs of the body.
Highly Treatable Once it Has Been Detected A Positive test report for TB does not necessarily mean that a person has an active case of TB.
This is because a person can become infected but the disease can remain dormant in their system, often for years and even a lifetime.
The good news however, is that the disease is highly treatable once it is detected but it does involve an oral medicine treatment regimen over a period of months.