Kim Bennett, RN, Cherokee County Health Department Nursing Supervisor, provides TB education to a new patientDalton (GA) - March 24th is World TB Day. This date commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch stunned the scientific community by announcing his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB). On this day, the North Georgia Health District joins other health officials worldwide in not only recognizing this early significant event in TB-control efforts, but we raise awareness about the devastating impact that TB disease has on the economy and health of our world today.Pickens County Health Department TB Nurse Caroline Garrett, RN, is reading a Tuberculin Skin Test (TST)

TB is the second leading killer of adults in the world and is the leading  cause of death in people who are infected with HIV. There were 10,528 reported cases of TB in the US in 2011, and Georgia reported 347 of those new cases. There have been 17 cases in the 6 counties of the North Georgia Health District in the past two reported years.

For the second year in a row the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the global Stop TB Partnership have chosen "Stop TB in my lifetime" as the slogan for World TB Day. This theme encourages people of all ages, all over the world, to make an individual call for the elimination of TB.

Please join the North Georgia Health District in recognizing the hard work of the county public health nurses and district staff that contribute to the ongoing care of TB patients in our communities and their efforts in TB elimination.

For more information about World TB Day, go to the CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/tb/events/worldtbday/default.htm.

   Kim Bennett, RN, Cherokee Co Health Dept Nursing Supervisor, stands between Nancy Loyed, RN, NGHD Infectious Disease Program Manager & NGHD TB Coordinator Tammy Bowling, RN... they represent 25 combined years of TB experience & each has served as the Cherokee Co TB nurse             Gilmer County Health Department TB Nurse Leigh Ann Dover, RN, provides TB counseling to a client             Whitfield County Health Department TB Nurse Beth Spivey, RN, provides a client a Tuberculin Skin Test (TST)