This site provides access to information about tuberculosis (TB) disease and prevention in North Carolina. The Tuberculosis Control program, located in the Public Health Division of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead agency in combating tuberculosis in the state.

Tuberculosis is a communicable, potentially deadly disease that usually affects the lungs but can attack other parts of the body as well. It is spread when a person with an active case of TB breathes out the disease-causing bacteria, which are then inhaled by another person. TB is treatable and usually curable, although new drug-resistant strains are appearing that are very difficult to treat. It is vital that TB patients faithfully follow their treatment regimen and take all medications as directed, for as long as directed, or the disease can recur in a drug-resistant form.

The TB Control Program has made progress. In 2007, North Carolina had a TB rate of 3.8 cases per 100,000 persons, a significant decrease from the 2003 rate of 4.6 per 100,000. The current goal of the TB Control program is to reduce tuberculosis disease in North Carolina by the year 2015 to under one case per one million persons, virtually eliminating TB in the state.

In order to accomplish this goal, health care providers must:

• Quickly diagnose and treat tuberculosis disease
• Promptly investigate all suspected exposures to each and every case of TB
• Strongly encourage preventive treatment for people who are at risk of developing TB disease

A collaborative effort among state agencies and health providers is vital to eliminating TB. Major players in this public-private combined effort include:

• Local public health departments in each county (opens in new window)
• Tuberculosis Medical Advisory Committee
• Duke University Medical Center
• American Lung Association of North Carolina (ALANC)
• NC Tuberculosis Control Program
• State Laboratory of Public Health
• Private health care providers

If you have questions that are not answered by this website, call your local health department TB control nurse or contact NC TB Control. For a detailed description of the disease, see the Centers for Disease Control website.

More about TB:

• CDC tuberculosis information
• FAQs
• TB Fact Sheet

For healthcare providers:

• N.C. Tuberculosis Policy Manual (revised Dec. 2009)
• N.C. Guidelines for the use of Interferon Gamma Release Assays (PDF, 261 KB)
• Download TB Forms
• Download Patient Educational Materials

Professional conferences and trainings:

• 10th Annual Tuberculosis Symposium: Understanding TB Risks & Strategizing Solutions. March 19, 2010
• 60th Annual TBRD Institute: "Facing our Challenges: Combining the Old with the New." July 12 – 14, 2010

TB-Related Links