Erie County calls on physicians to 'Think TB' during World TB Day

Submitted by the Erie County Department of Health

One-hundred-forty-three years ago, a physician-scientist in Germany unlocked a key to understanding a debilitating cause of chronic disability and death for much of human history. By discovering the mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium through his microscope’s lens, Dr. Robert Koch drew a clear connection between a nearly invisible organism and the common, and commonly fatal, tuberculosis infection.

For public health and medical professionals, the look back at TB charts a record of positive progress and life-saving advancements. TB cases within Erie County are rare. Six new cases have been reported to date for 2025, and eight cases from 2024 are being treated by the Erie County Department of Health’s (ECDOH) tuberculosis control program. Since 2012, there have been one to two cases per 100,000 residents each year within Erie County.

Once a major cause of death and chronic illness, TB is not commonly seen within the U.S. because of stringent, focused programs – like the one in Erie County – that provide testing, monitor treatment and limit community exposure. TB can be transmitted by someone with an active TB infection in their lungs or throat as they talk or cough. It is not transmitted through casual contact.

“We want to use March 24 as a reminder for physicians and health care providers to consider tuberculosis when evaluating patients, particularly when they present with rapid weight loss, persistent respiratory symptoms or multiple recurrences of pneumonia, or report time spent living in countries where tuberculosis is prevalent,” Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein said. “Once a case is diagnosed, our department can support the contact tracing and treatment that are essential to stopping the spread of this illness.”

Risk factors for being exposed to TB or developing TB include:

√ Being immunocompromised 

√ A diabetes or HIV diagnosis 

√ Unregulated drug use 

√ Experiencing or have experienced homelessness 

√ Living or spending time in an area where tuberculosis is common – some parts of Africa, Asia and Central or South America 

√ Inadequate/incomplete TB treatment

Tuberculosis symptoms include: 

√ Low-grade fever 

√ Night sweats 

√ Weakness and fatigue 

√ Weight loss 

√ A bad cough that lasts three weeks or longer 

√ Pain in the chest 

√ Coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs)

Erie County’s tuberculosis clinic, located at the Jesse Nash Health Center at 608 William St., Buffalo, takes referrals from hospitals and doctor’s offices for potential active TB cases and for individuals who have latent TB exposure. Physicians, health care professionals and Erie County residents can call 716-858-2172 with questions. 

For more:

Erie County tuberculosis control program