Illegals Today

"Although the incidence of tuberculosis in the United States has declined each year since 1993, tuberculosis remains an important infectious disease in the United States and worldwide. In Minnesota, the incidence of tuberculosis increased during the 1990s and peaked at 4.9 cases per 100,000 population in 2001. From 2001 through 2005, 81% of tuberculosis cases in Minnesota occurred in foreign-born persons; this finding can largely be attributed to dynamic immigration patterns that have included an influx of persons from areas of the world where tuberculosis is endemic (1).

Somalia ranks in the top 15 countries of origin for foreign-born persons with cases of tuberculosis in reported in the United States (2). Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States (3). Although Somali persons constitute <1% of Minnesota's population, they accounted for 30% of tuberculosis cases reported statewide from 1999 through 2003. The unique epidemiologic characteristics of foreign-born tuberculosis patients in Minnesota, and Somali tuberculosis patients in particular, have been described (1,4)." Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol 12, No 9, Sept 2006