FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Mar. 24, 2025

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) joins partners across the country and globe in raising awareness about tuberculosis (TB) prevention and treatment methods in observance of World TB Day.

Recognized annually on March 24, World TB Day marks the day in 1882 when it was discovered that tuberculosis is a bacterial disease found primarily in the lungs. TB can spread when a person with the disease coughs or sneezes and the droplets with the bacteria are breathed in by someone nearby.    

The goal of DPH’s Tuberculosis Control Program is to eliminate tuberculosis in South Carolina. When a person is diagnosed with TB, DPH investigates to identify others who may have been exposed to help protect their health and limit spread of the disease.  

“Worldwide TB continues to be a frequent and dangerous infectious disease, yet many remain astounded that it's still around in South Carolina,” said Amy R. Painter, DPH Tuberculosis Section Director. “While South Carolina has a low-incidence rate compared to other areas in the United States, we cannot let our guard down. Our team of physicians, nurses, social workers, and case managers remain committed to quality treatment of our patients and full evaluations of all close contacts to prevent future cases of TB in South Carolina.”

Prior to the discovery of the first antibiotic to treat TB in the 1940s, tuberculosis was a severely debilitating disease requiring hospitalization. Early treatment of the disease included isolation away from family and loved ones, often for months, in TB hospitals or sanatoriums. In the 1930s, more than one-third of those admitted to the South Carolina Sanatorium, then the state’s primary facility for those with TB, died in the hospital. Thankfully with effective treatment, TB is now rarely fatal.

TB incidence in the United States decreased drastically after additional drugs used to treat TB were developed in the 1950s. In 1953, there were 84,304 cases of TB and 19,707 deaths reported in the United States. In 2023, there were 9,633 cases of TB and 565 deaths reported.

A person can have “active TB,” meaning they are ill with symptoms and potentially contagious, or a “latent TB infection (LTBI),” meaning they are infected with the bacteria but don’t have symptoms and can’t spread the infection. Medicine is available to successfully treat someone with active TB and to keep someone with LTBI from developing active TB disease.

We are making progress in TB control. In South Carolina in 2024, there were 83 cases of TB. DPH provides medications by Directly Observed Therapy for all people with TB at no cost to the patient; performs contact investigations on all infectious cases of TB disease; treats LTBI; offers consultation services to community partners regarding TB; and offers public outreach materials that help educate South Carolinians about tuberculosis. To learn more about TB and World TB Day, visit cdc.gov/tb and to learn more about DPH’s Tuberculosis Control Program, visit dph.sc.gov/tb.

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