CDC: High TB rates found in immigrants and refugees

Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that the highest rates of tuberculosis come from immigrants and refugees from Africa, Asia, and South America, according to Reuters.

Specifically, these high rates were found among immigrants and refugees from Sub-Saharan countries including Somalia and Ethopia, Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, and Latin American countries such as Peru.

The researchers recommended improving efforts at screening before travelers leave countries at high risk for TB. From 2001 to 2006, nearly 47,000 cases of TB derived from foreign-born persons overall, the CDC researchers stated.