March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day; 71 Kentuckians got the airborne disease last year

March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day, an observance meant to spread awareness about the disease, which is the second leading cause of death worldwide after HIV/AIDS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate about 2 million people die each year from TB.

"Many people assume that TB is no longer a concern in this country, but we continue to see cases each year — in Kentucky and around the U.S.," said Steve Davis, acting commissioner of the state Department of Public Health. "While public health has made great strides in preventing the spread of the disease, our work continues."

In 2011, 71 active TB cases were diagnosed in Kentucky, though the state falls below the national average of 3.6 cases per 100,000 people.

TB is an airborne disease, transmitted when an infectious person coughs, shouts, sneezes, speaks or sings. It generally attacks the lungs, but can affect any part of the body, including the kidneys, spine and brain. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.

People exposed to TB can also get a latent TB infection, which has no symptoms but can still be spread to others. That infection can progress into full-blown TB. Symptoms include coughing up blood, loss of appetite, chest pain and fatigue. (Read more)

CDC names top 10 public health achievements in past decade, including tobacco control; Ky. still leads nation in tobacco use

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have named the top 10 public health achievements of the last decade. They include controlling infectious diseases like AIDS and tuberculosis; fighting tobacco use; improving motor-vehicle safety by having safer vehicles, roads and driving; reducing heart disease and death; and improving public safety preparedness following Sept. 11, 2001.

The 10 were not ranked. "Others include improvements in vaccine-preventable diseases, better maternal and infant health, better cancer prevention, improved occupational safety, and the aggressive steps that have led to fewer childhood lead poisonings," reports Bill Hendrick of WebMD Health News.

"Americans are living longer, healthier and more productive lives than ever before thanks in part to extraordinary achievements in public health over the past decade," CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden said in a press release. "Continued investments in prevention will help us and our children live even longer, healthier and more productive lives while bringing down health care costs."

The report shows the improvements have saved billions of dollars nationwide. Fortifying food with folic acid, which reduced neural tube defects like spina bifida, has alone resulted in a savings of $4.6 billion in the past 10 years. Preventing motor vehicle crashes could save $99 billion in medical and lost work costs each year. Preventing lead exposure in children could save $213 billion each year.

While tobacco control has advanced nationally, and Kentucky's smoking rate has dropped slightly, the state continues to lead the nation in tobacco use, at 25 percent of adults. While about two dozen Kentucky communities have passed smoke-free laws, a statewide ban has never gotten anywhere in the legislature. The number of states with comprehensive smoke-free laws increased from zero in 2000 to 25 states (plus Washington, D.C.) in 2010.

Motor vehicle safety has improved, a trend that has been noted in Kentucky. The number of traffic-related fatalities in Kentucky has decreased for the past six years. In 2010, 759 people died on Kentucky roads compared to 791 the year before. This year so far, 220 people have died in traffic-related accidents compared to 237 last year. Nationwide, the death rate related to motor vehicle accidents went from 14.9 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 11 per 100,000 in 2009. (Read more)