Tuberculosis in Santa Clara County
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department released data in January 2024 showing:
- A 19 percent increase in new tuberculosis (TB) diagnoses in the county in 2023, compared to the previous year.
- This follows a six percent increase in new TB diagnoses in the county for calendar year 2022, compared to the previous year.
Researchers estimate that 170,000 people in Santa Clara County, and as many as 13 million people in the US, have LTBI (latent TB infection). If not diagnosed or treated, these people are at risk of becoming sick with TB disease in the future. Five to ten percent of individuals with LTBI develop TB disease over their lifetime.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is urging people at increased risk to seek TB testing and treatment. A simple skin test or blood test can identify someone with TB infection.
Who should be testing for TB? Learn more about tuberculosis
Tuberculosis by the numbers in Santa Clara County
Figure 1. TB case counts and rates, 2010-2023
In 2023, there were 168 cases reported with a rate of 8.8 cases per 100,000 people. This was a 19 percent increase from 2022.
Figure 2. TB case rates in 2023 by country of birth
This figure shows the case rate of TB per 100,000 people for 2023 for those born in the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Mexico, China, and the United States. Case rate is highest in those born in the Philippines, with a rate of 65 cases per 100,000 people.
Figure 3. Percentage of TB cases by age group in 2023
This figure shows the percentage of TB cases across different age groups in 2023. Of the total cases, 73 percent of the patients were 45 years of age or older and 48 percent of the patients were 65 years of age or older.
Figure 4. Percentage of TB cases by ethnicity and by number of years patients have lived in the U.S. in 2023
This figure shows the breakdown of the cases by ethnicity with the majority identifying as Asians. 82 percent of the patients born outside the U.S. have lived here for at least five years.