Tuberculosis: Milpitas Ranks Third in County

Nearly 70,000 residents live in Milpitas, so 17 cases of tuberculosis may not seem so high. But compared with other cities in Santa Clara County, Milpitas ranks third in the number of cases last year.

Based on 2009 data, the San Jose metropolitan area ranks the highest in the state and nation for TB rates. Santa Clara County's numbers are 10.7 per 100,000 people, and the Department of Public Health is trying to keep that number down.

People who travel to countries with high rates of TB, or those who used to live there, are more likely to be exposed to the disease, which can be triggered years later, according to the public health department (see flier above).

Santa Clara County is 38 percent foreign-born, and three-quarters of the TB cases occur in that population, according to Dr. Julie Higashi, the county's deputy health officer and TB expert. And it is not necessarily new immigrants. Some cases have been found in foreign-born who have lived here more than five years.

She said three-quarters of cases in the county are attributed to the Asian population. Since 2007, the rate has decreased from 37 to 29 per 100,000 people. Cases from last year were attributed to the following countries: Vietnam, Philippines, India, China and Mexico.

"If you've traveled to Vietnam, India, Philippines, China or Mexico within the past year and you haven't been screened, we encourage you to get screened, especially if you have one of these other medical conditions," said Higashi.

But "if you are just going around Santa Clara County and you are American-born, your risks aren't that high," she said.

"This is an equal opportunity disease," said Higashi. "It affects high-risks populations, but we see TB all over the county in all types of people. We want to erase the stigma. It's treatable. It's something you can put behind you and more forward." 

People who have diabetes and who are smokers are predisposed to the disease, she said. These conditions weaken the immune system and makes it easier for TB bacteria to become active and multiply.