Florida Department of Health in Lake County to Provide Public Health Educational Outreach on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 

Lake County - The Florida Department of Health in Lake County will observe World TB Day on Tuesday, March, 24, 2015 at the Umatilla Health Center located at 249 E. Collins Street, Umatilla, FL, from 1pm until 4pm.  Educational Materials will be available and the tuberculin skin test will be offered for a fee of $20 per test. The QuantiFERON Tuberculosis blood test will also be offered for a fee of $25 per test.  
 
TB is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tiny particles containing M. tuberculosis may be released into the air when a person with TB disease of the lung or throat coughs or sneezes. If another person inhales air that contains these particles, the TB bacteria may enter the lungs causing infection.  However, not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions can exist: latent TB infection and TB disease and in both cases treatment should be sought.
 
The 2015 World TB Day theme according to the Stop TB Partnership is: Reach the 3 Million – Reach, Treat, Cure Everyone. The Florida Department of Health’s goal is to join efforts to spread TB awareness and reduce the number of TB cases in the state. TB continues to be a public health threat in Florida; however, we have 29 percent fewer cases in 2014 than in 2010.  In 2014 the number of TB cases dropped to 595 across the state. TB continues to be one of the world’s deadliest diseases. 

• One third of the world’s population are infected with TB
• Each year, nearly 9 million people around the world become sick with TB
• Each year, nearly 3 million don’t get the care they need
• In 2013, 1.5 million people died of TB worldwide
• TB is the leading killer of people who are HIV infected

For more information regarding a TB Test, Treatment and Cure, please contact the Florida Department of Health in Lake County at 352-771-5554.