Tuberculosis Program

Mission

To control the person-to-person spread of Tuberculosis (TB), prevent illness and ensure treatment of disease due to tuberculosis within Rhode Island.

2010 Milestones/Accomplishments

• Rhode Island has seen a decrease in the number of TB cases over the last few years.  From 1996 – 2005, there was an average of 49 cases per year, while from 2006 – 2010 there was an average of 31 cases.
• In 2009, the most recent year where completion of therapy data is available, 94% of active TB cases diagnosed in Rhode Island completed therapy within 12 months of treatment initiation.

What We Do

Monitor Reports of TB

• Ensure that all suspected and confirmed cases of TB are identified
• Analyze trends in diagnosed cases

Manage Cases

• Refer individuals for treatment of active and latent TB
• Monitor the status of individual TB cases, medical follow-up of patients, adherence of patients to drug regimens, and assure completion of therapy
• Provide directly observed therapy (DOT) to all active TB cases in Rhode Island to assure adherence, ensure a quick response to any adverse reactions and assure completion of an adequate treatment regimen

Control Disease Outbreaks

• Determine if people with newly diagnosed cases are contagious
• Assure isolation of contagious cases until non-infectious
• Identify people who may have been exposed to contagious cases, screen them for TB, identify those who have become infected, and refer them to treatment
• Plan and implement public health responses to outbreaks of TB