Tuberculosis Control

The mission of the Jefferson County Health Department’s Tuberculosis Program (TB Program) is to identify, treat, and prevent the spread of tuberculosis disease in Jefferson County and eliminate it as a public health problem.

The goals of the TB Program are:

• The Tuberculosis Control Program evaluates and provides therapy for any individual diagnosed with suspected or confirmed tuberculosis disease (MTB) or latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI)
• Initiate a contact investigation surrounding each case of TB to identify exposed individuals in the community, evaluate those individuals for TB disease or latent tuberculosis infection, and provide therapy as needed.
• Provide targeted-testing and therapy for LTBI to persons in high-risk populations such as homeless, foreign-born, correctional institutions, and substance abusers.

The program achieves its goals through direct patient care, education, surveillance, and outreach. Its mandated activities include the following:

1. Ensure that suspected and confirmed cases of TB identified in all facilities in Jefferson County are reported to the department [Alabama Law, Act No. 87-574] and place on a confidential TB disease registry.
2. Conducting intensive case interviews and maintaining an effective outreach program so TB cases remain under medical supervision until completion of a full course of treatment and identified contacts receive appropriate medical care.
3. Monitoring and documenting the treatment of all patients with active TB.
4. Providing consultation on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of latent TB infection and disease in Jefferson County at no cost to the patient.

Links

• www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/
• www.adph.org/tb/
• www.nationaltbcenter.edu/

For more information please contact the Tuberculosis Control Division at 930-1171.