By Joyce Tsai jtsai@bayareanewsgroup.com

Although tuberculosis has reached an all-time low in California, with a total of 2,170 cases reported in 2013, Bay Area public health officials say there are still challenges in fighting the preventable disease.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” said Pennan Barry, surveillance and epidemiology chief of the state Department of Public Healths Tuberculosis Control Branch.. He was speaking Wednesday at an event in recognition of World Tuberculosis Day at Curry International Tuberculosis Center in Oakland that drew public health leaders from Bay Area counties. World Tuberculosis Day was Monday.

In California, health officials say TB rates are nearly twice as high as the nation’s average, with 5.7 cases reported per 100,000 people. Last year, 2,170 cases were reported statewide compared to 2,189 cases the year before, a nearly 1 percent decrease.

via Health officials say more work needed to fight tuberculosis – ContraCostaTimes.com.