Cases of 'white plague' rising in US as doctors warn of 'rebound effect' - Yahoo

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel on the significance of the tuberculosis outbreak and how illegal immigration plays a role and says bird flu is currently not a risk to the human population

A potentially deadly disease known as "the white plague" has been rising in the U.S. since the pandemic, health officials have warned.

Tuberculosis (TB) gets its nickname from the pale appearance of those affected with the disease in 18th- and 19th-century Europe, according to historical medical literature.

After a dip in 2020 with the onset of COVID – likely due to underdiagnosis and reduced screenings, according to health experts – cases of TB have increased every year since.

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More than 10,300 cases were confirmed in 2024, which is around three people for every 100,000, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That marked the third consecutive annual increase, as the total 2024 case count was the highest annual number since 2013. Last week, the CDC released its provisional 2025 data, showing 10,260 cases reported in 2025, a slight decrease (1%).

After a dip in 2020 with the onset of COVID, cases of tuberculosis have increased every year since. (iStock)

Despite the recent increase, TB rates in the U.S. remain relatively low compared to many parts of the world, as the global average is about 131 cases per 100,000, per the World Health Organization. That’s approximately 40 times higher globally compared to the U.S.

TB is a curable bacterial infection that targets the lungs, but can also infect other organs, according to Johns Hopkins. It is spread through airborne particles released when an infected person coughs, speaks or sneezes.

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Renuga Vivekanandan, M.D., professor at Creighton University School of Medicine and VP and CMO of CHI Health Physician Enterprise Midwest, said the rise in tuberculosis cases in the U.S. is concerning, but noted that it was foreseeable.

"The COVID-19 pandemic effectively disrupted TB surveillance and treatment programs across the country," the doctor, who is board-certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases, told Fox News Digital.

TB is a curable bacterial infection that targets the lungs, but can also infect other organs, according to Johns Hopkins. (Getty)

"What we're seeing now is largely a rebound effect – latent TB infections that went undetected or untreated during the pandemic are now activating."

Another factor is a return to international travel and increased migration from countries where TB is more prevalent, according to Vivekanandan.

The uptick has also strained healthcare systems. "Local and state public health TB programs became understaffed during the pandemic, and that capacity hasn't fully recovered," the doctor said.

Globally, about 25% of people are estimated to carry latent tuberculosis infection, with roughly 5% to 10% developing active disease over their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization.

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A person with a latent infection has been infected with the tuberculosis bacteria, but the bacteria are inactive in the body. While latent-stage TB is not contagious, it can develop into active disease in 5% to 10% of people.

Only people with active TB disease in the lungs or throat can spread the infection.

While around 25% of people have likely been infected with the TB bacteria, about 5% to 10% will go on to develop active disease. (iStock)

Those who get sick with TB may experience mild symptoms, including coughing, chest pain, fatigue, weight loss, weakness, fever and night sweats, per the CDC. In some cases, however, the disease can also affect the kidneys, spine, skin and brain.

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"TB can affect any organ of the body, but it causes disease in the lung in over 80% of cases," Masae Kawamura, M.D., a former TB control director in San Francisco and a tuberculosis clinician, previously told Fox News Digital. "This is dangerous because it causes cough, the mechanism of airborne spread."

"TB can affect any organ of the body, but it causes disease in the lung in over 80% of cases."

In more severe cases, patients may cough up blood, noted Kawamura, who serves on the board of directors of Vital Strategies, a global public health organization.