document: The tuberculosis rate in U.S. prisons may be more than three times higher than on the outside , federal health officials said Thursday , urging testing , isolation and other measures to curb TB behind bars . Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control cited a survey in 29 states , where prisons reported 31 tuberculosis cases per 100,000 inmates in 1984-85 , compared with eight cases per 100,000 reported among non-incarcerated adults in those states during the same period . `` In some large correctional systems , the incidence of TB has increased dramatically , '' the CDC said , noting that in New York state there were 106 TB cases per 100,000 inmates in 1986 _ seven times more than the average of 15 cases reported in 1976-78 . In New Jersey , inmates had a TB rate of 110 per 100,000 in 1987 , 11 times higher than the general New Jersey population . In California , the rate was nearly six times higher _ 80 per 100,000 . Tuberculosis , a contagious , bacterial lung disease , occurs in about 22,000 new cases each year in the United States ; most can be cured with drug treatment . As many as 7 percent of Americans have latent TB infections , and about 10 percent of them will someday develop a case of tuberculosis itself . `` Persons at highest risk ... are close contacts , '' the CDC said , noting that TB can pose particular problems in prisons , where there is often overcrowding and `` where the environment is often conducive to airborne transmission of infection among inmates , staff and visitors . '' The CDC 's Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Tuberculosis is recommending TB testing for most new prison inmates and staff members _ with the possible exception of inmates just transferring through for less than a week . The CDC committee also recommends new tests at least once a year , rapid chest X-rays for TB-infected people showing symptoms , and isolation _ off the prison property , if necessary _ for those with suspected or confirmed symptomatic TB cases . The spread of AIDS-virus infections may play a part in the spread of TB in prisons , the CDC said . AIDS weakens the immune system , making patients susceptible to infections other people might ward off , including tuberculosis . AIDS tests should be offered to all inmates with known TB infections , the CDC report said .
extractive_keyphrases: tuberculosis rate airborne transmission tuberculosis cases cdc
abstractive_keyphrases: u.s. prisons aids-virus infections