March 24th is World TB Day

Tuberculosis kills 2 million people a year and sickens millions more. It's a terrible plague in South America, Asia and Africa. Closer to home (although US incidence of the disease declined precipitously after the 50s) there's actually been a 9% increase in each of the past two years, in the number of cases in Minnesota. And if you worry about super-bugs, try reading about "MDR TB"—tuberculosis that is resistant to many or all of the known treatments. Good reason to support the CDC and state health department in their efforts to de-stigmatize TB, especially among vulnerable immigrants and refugees. Check out the Minnesota Department of Health's World TB day webpage for more info.