The rate of tuberculosis, an infectious and potentially fatal disease that attacks the body, primarily the lungs, has been rising in Montgomery County.

Tuberculosis, along with many other infectious diseases, was thought to be nearly extinct in the United States.

According to Montgomery County director of Health and Human services, Ulder Tillman, as quoted in a Nov. 29  Takoma Park Patch article, Montgomery County has a rate of 7.6 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 residents, compared to 4 per 100,000 residents in Maryland and 3.6 per 100,000 residents nationwide.

2012 brought 84.4 cases of tuberculosis in Montgomery County compared to the 74 cases in 2011.

According to Mayoclinic.com, tuberculosis can be treated and deemed noncontagious after a two-week dosage of antibiotics; however, there are drug-resistant bacteria in small strains of the disease. When a certain antibiotic fails to kill the bacteria, it becomes immune, often to more than one antibiotic.

“Someone can carry TB germs in their body and never have active TB, but it can become active at a later point,” Montgomery County Health Department Tuberculosis representative Mary Anderson said.

According to school nurse Deborah Stapleton, there have been no active cases at CHS in the past five years.

“The average high school student is not going to contract TB,” Anderson said. “If one classmate in all of your periods is coughing, sneezing and sitting in front of you, something might be transmitted. The TB program ensures that someone comes in from the Health Department and performs a Contact Study—contacting the student’s first circle of contacts.”

The rise of tuberculosis in the United States is thought to be caused by immigrants who lived in countries where the disease is more prevalent.

“Most people who have active TB come from countries where it is endemic,” Anderson said.

The disease can be prevented with vaccinations such as the BCG vaccine and healthy nutrition. In addition, Montgomery County has been trying to lower the infection rate by increasing awareness of the disease.