Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1993 May;83(5):766–768. doi: 10.2105/ajph.83.5.766

Commentary: tuberculosis in New York City--the consequences and lessons of failure.

S H Landesman 1
PMCID: PMC1694673  PMID: 8484468

Abstract

The resurgent tuberculosis epidemic represents--especially in New York City--a failure to maintain a public health infrastructure that was focused on preventing active disease in high-risk populations (i.e., individuals with the human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) and on treating active tuberculosis patients until cured. Although the tuberculosis problem in New York City and other localities is worsened by homelessness, poverty, and substance abuse, it is possible to bring tuberculosis under control by directing public health resources into targeted programs that enhance compliance with tuberculosis treatment regimen and expand chemoprophylaxis efforts among HIV-infected individuals. These two avenues will decrease, respectively, the number of cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and the total number of new cases.

Full text

PDF
766

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bloom B. R., Murray C. J. Tuberculosis: commentary on a reemergent killer. Science. 1992 Aug 21;257(5073):1055–1064. doi: 10.1126/science.257.5073.1055. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brudney K., Dobkin J. A tale of two cities: tuberculosis control in Nicaragua and New York City. Semin Respir Infect. 1991 Dec;6(4):261–272. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brudney K., Dobkin J. Resurgent tuberculosis in New York City. Human immunodeficiency virus, homelessness, and the decline of tuberculosis control programs. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1991 Oct;144(4):745–749. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/144.4.745. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Daley C. L., Small P. M., Schecter G. F., Schoolnik G. K., McAdam R. A., Jacobs W. R., Jr, Hopewell P. C. An outbreak of tuberculosis with accelerated progression among persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. An analysis using restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms. N Engl J Med. 1992 Jan 23;326(4):231–235. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199201233260404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Daley C. L., Small P. M., Schecter G. F., Schoolnik G. K., McAdam R. A., Jacobs W. R., Jr, Hopewell P. C. An outbreak of tuberculosis with accelerated progression among persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. An analysis using restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms. N Engl J Med. 1992 Jan 23;326(4):231–235. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199201233260404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lerner B. H. New York City's tuberculosis control efforts: the historical limitations of the "war on consumption". Am J Public Health. 1993 May;83(5):758–766. doi: 10.2105/ajph.83.5.758. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Murray C. J., DeJonghe E., Chum H. J., Nyangulu D. S., Salomao A., Styblo K. Cost effectiveness of chemotherapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in three sub-Saharan African countries. Lancet. 1991 Nov 23;338(8778):1305–1308. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)92600-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Pearson M. L., Jereb J. A., Frieden T. R., Crawford J. T., Davis B. J., Dooley S. W., Jarvis W. R. Nosocomial transmission of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A risk to patients and health care workers. Ann Intern Med. 1992 Aug 1;117(3):191–196. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-117-3-191. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pitchenik A. E., Cole C., Russell B. W., Fischl M. A., Spira T. J., Snider D. E., Jr Tuberculosis, atypical mycobacteriosis, and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome among Haitian and non-Haitian patients in south Florida. Ann Intern Med. 1984 Nov;101(5):641–645. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-101-5-641. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Reichman L. B. The U-shaped curve of concern. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1991 Oct;144(4):741–742. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/144.4.741. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Selwyn P. A., Hartel D., Lewis V. A., Schoenbaum E. E., Vermund S. H., Klein R. S., Walker A. T., Friedland G. H. A prospective study of the risk of tuberculosis among intravenous drug users with human immunodeficiency virus infection. N Engl J Med. 1989 Mar 2;320(9):545–550. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198903023200901. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sunderam G., McDonald R. J., Maniatis T., Oleske J., Kapila R., Reichman L. B. Tuberculosis as a manifestation of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). JAMA. 1986 Jul 18;256(3):362–366. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Torres R. A., Mani S., Altholz J., Brickner P. W. Human immunodeficiency virus infection among homeless men in a New York City shelter. Association with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Arch Intern Med. 1990 Oct;150(10):2030–2036. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES