It is dangerous to label immigrants as major tuberculosis carriers without describing the pitfalls of U.S. TB screening and treatment procedures for immigrants. Currently, TB screening in the United States is required only for immigrants applying for permanent legal status. Cultural and linguistic barriers, as well as difficulties in targeted screening of high-risk immigrants, have contributed to large impediments in identifying and treating immigrants once they have entered the U.S. Instead of labeling immigration as a major problem for tuberculosis, health departments should work hard to develop programs that increase the success of TB identification and treatment of immigrants. Florida TB control programs should develop epidemiologic profiles to identify immigrants at high risk for TB infection and then begin targeted screening of these populations. Health departments should work to overcome cultural and linguistic barriers by providing education and training programs to health-care providers that help them adapt their services to immigrants.
Tuberculosis is the second leading infectious-disease killer that knows no boundaries.
It is time to address the obstacles to TB identification and treatment of immigrants before it is too late.