The masks she now has at her disposal also provide a better shield against TB than those of a few years ago. Each year there are 8 million new cases and 3 million TB deaths. An increasing proportion of cases in the United States, some 37 percent, are among individuals born in areas where TB is common, such as Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Philippines. Public health officials point out that TB cannot fully be eliminated in the United States unless it is eliminated worldwide. Brubach worries that once politicians believe TB is beaten again they will cut funding.
Labor costs money.
OSHA will conduct public hearings across the nation later this year to solicit comments from employers and workers on the proposed new regulations. Employees, including some of the prison workers who battle TB, are expected to testify. Gerald W. McEntee. The minute we do, TB will come back nationwide and we ll once again face a crisis.