The number of reported tuberculosis (TB) disease cases and incidence rate increased in 2023 for the third year since 2020, surpassing pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Introduction
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, TB case counts and rates had been steadily declining in the United States since 1992. During 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, TB cases decreased by 19.4% and the incidence rate decreased by 20.2%. TB case counts and incidence rates subsequently increased in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, the TB case count and incidence rate rose to above pre-pandemic levels.
During 2023, the United States reported 9,633 TB cases, an incidence rate of 2.9 cases per 100,000 persons.
TB-related deaths
The National Vital Statistics System collects information on reported TB disease-related deaths and releases data after a 1-year lag.
TB disease was the reported underlying cause of death for 565 deaths (0.2 per 100,000 persons) in 2022, the most recent year for which data are available. Using unrounded numbers, this represents a:
6.1% decrease in the number of TB-related deaths, and
6.5% decrease in the TB mortality rate per 100,000 persons compared with 2021.
There were 600 TB deaths in 2020 and 602 TB deaths in 2021 despite lower case counts in both of those years compared with prepandemic counts and with 2022 case counts.
The National Vital Statistics System reported 565 TB-related deaths (0.2 deaths per 100,000 persons) where TB was the underlying cause of death for 2022, the most recent year for which data are available.
