Colorado

Tuberculosis cases rise in Colorado, making elimination goal less likely

Published

1 year ago

December 7, 2023

Tuberculosis cases rise in Colorado, making elimination goal less likely

In December 2016, the state health department published a plan to eliminate tuberculosis in Colorado within a decade. Seven years later, the disease is making a comeback, though it’s not clear if that’s a temporary aftershock of the pandemic or a longer-term problem.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 84 people were diagnosed with tuberculosis so far this year, which is higher than the pre-pandemic average of about 70 cases per year. Two people have died, which is on the lower end of what Colorado typically sees.

The increase was first reported by 9News.

The state defines elimination as fewer than one case of active disease for every million residents, state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said. This year, the health department has recorded about 20 cases for every million residents – a significant gulf in the world of infectious diseases.

“We do still have that goal of elimination,” she said. “We certainly do have some challenges ahead of us.”

Tuberculosis is the world’s top infectious disease killer, causing about 4,300 deaths per day worldwide. Most of those deaths happen in developing countries, where the disease is more common and treatment is harder to come by.

No one is sure why cases are rising now or whether this is a temporary or longer-term problem, Herlihy said. Most tuberculosis cases are in people who’ve been infected with the bacteria for some time, so it’s unlikely this represents a rebound of delayed infections, she said. Some other respiratory diseases did increase as COVID-19 controls loosened, creating short but intense periods as they spread through populations that hadn’t seen them for months or years.

One possibility is that people didn’t come in for health care during the pandemic, or that their doctors weren’t thinking about tuberculosis and didn’t order the right testing, said Dr. Larissa Pisney, medical director for infection prevention and control for UCHealth’s metro area hospitals. The people who came to UCHealth with active tuberculosis infections this year were sicker than usual, and in some cases, the disease had infiltrated their bones or other organs, she said.

The most common symptoms of tuberculosis are a persistent cough, night sweats and a low fever. Some people lose weight or cough up blood. Many people who are exposed to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis don’t develop symptoms and can’t spread the disease, because their bodies respond and force it into a latent form.

If the bacteria later awaken, though, they could get sick and become contagious. Those who have HIV, other conditions that suppress the immune system, or diabetes are more likely to become sick if exposed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Before the pandemic, active tuberculosis cases were falling steadily, said Dr. Masae Kawamura, former tuberculosis controller for the city of San Francisco. When COVID-19 hit, however, public health departments had to redeploy their staff who had the most experience with an airborne virus – typically those working with tuberculosis, she said.

The bacteria that cause tuberculosis can linger in the air after a person coughs, but most people don’t need to worry about catching the disease. Typically, it spreads to people who live or work with someone who has an active infection.

“For most people in Colorado, this is still not a concern,” Pisney said.

The risk of having a latent tuberculosis infection is higher for people who spent significant time in a region of the world where it’s more common, such as Eastern Europe, much of Asia, Africa and parts of South America. People who worked or lived in tight quarters, such as jails and homeless shelters, also are at increased risk.

Drug treatments are available, but patients who have symptoms have to take them consistently for at least six months. The course is often shorter for people with latent infections.

The United States does have some advantages in beating back tuberculosis again, Kawamura said: new blood tests make screening significantly more convenient than it was with the old skin test, and the drug regimen is shorter than it used to be. Unfortunately, in the countries with the highest rates of tuberculosis, people with symptoms often go untreated, allowing the bacteria to leap borders as visitors return home, she said.

“TB anywhere is TB everywhere,” she said.

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Colorado

Villanova plays Colorado following Poplar's 25-point outing

Published

2 hours ago

April 1, 2025

Press Room

Colorado Buffaloes (14-20, 5-19 Big 12) vs. Villanova Wildcats (19-14, 12-10 Big East)

Las Vegas; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wildcats -3.5; over/under is 141.5

BOTTOM LINE: Villanova hosts Colorado after Wooga Poplar scored 25 points in Villanova’s 73-56 loss to the UConn Huskies.

Villanova averages 73.4 points and has outscored opponents by 5.9 points per game.

Colorado allows 71.5 points to opponents and has been outscored by 1.6 points per game.

Villanova scores 73.4 points per game, 1.9 more points than the 71.5 Colorado gives up. Colorado has shot at a 44.5% clip from the field this season, 1.4 percentage points higher than the 43.1% shooting opponents of Villanova have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Eric Dixon is shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc with 2.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Wildcats, while averaging 23 points and 5.2 rebounds. Poplar is shooting 41.8% and averaging 15.5 points over the past 10 games.

Andrej Jakimovski is averaging 10.4 points for the Buffaloes. RJ Smith is averaging 1.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Wildcats: 6-4, averaging 69.0 points, 27.6 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 5.4 steals and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.3 points per game.

Buffaloes: 5-5, averaging 69.2 points, 33.7 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 43.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.3 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Colorado

Liquid eggs sold in Colorado recalled for possible bleach contamination

Published

14 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Press Room

Liquid eggs sold in Colorado recalled for possible bleach contamination

The maker of Egg Beaters and Bob Evans liquid eggs is recalling thousands of pounds of product that may be contaminated with a bleach cleaning solution, including those sold in Colorado, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Michigan-based Cargill Kitchen Solutions announced the recall of 212,268 pounds of liquid eggs on Friday after someone submitted a tip to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Liquid eggs sold in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois and Iowa and sent to distributors in Ohio and Texas were also included in the recall, and it’s possible the product was distributed nationwide.

Federal officials do not expect any health impacts from eating contaminated products and there have not been any confirmed reports of adverse reactions. Anyone with a recalled product in their fridge should throw it away or return it to the store.

Product covered by the recall include:

32-ounce carton of Egg Beaters Original Liquid Egg Substitute with a use-by date of Aug. 10, 2025;
32-ounce carton of Egg Beaters Cage-Free Original Liquid Egg Substitute with a use-by date of Aug. 9, 2025;
32-ounce carton of Egg Beaters Cage-Free Original Frozen Egg Substitute and No Enjualadas Original Sustituto de Huevo Congelado with a use-by date of March 7, 2026;
32-ounce carton of Bob Evans Better’n Eggs Made with Real Egg Whites with a use-by date of Aug. 10, 2025.

Products under the recall are also inked with the number “G1804” on the carton, according to the USDA.

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Originally Published: March 31, 2025 at 4:18 PM MDT

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Colorado

Is this town really the worst place to live in Colorado? Find out why a study says so

Published

1 day ago

March 31, 2025

Press Room

Is this town really the worst place to live in Colorado? Find out why a study says so

Clifton, an unincorporated town of about 20,000 people on Colorado’s Western Slope, was named the worst place to live in the state by financial news site 24/7 Wall St.

The site’s study picked the worst place to live in every state, compiling its rankings using 22 factors such as poverty rates, household income and deaths from substance abuse. The data sources for the rankings include the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s what the numbers say about Clifton — nestled between Grand Junction and Palisades — and what supporters of the city like about it.

Why did Clifton rank poorly?

Clifton fell well behind the rest of the state by several financial metrics. Its poverty rate of 17.6% was almost twice the state’s 9.6%. The median home value of $166,900 was less than half the state average of $397,500. And the median household income of $49,350 was a little above 60% of the state’s average of $80,184.

Clifton actually had slightly less drug-induced mortality, with 25.5 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with the state’s average of 26.5 per 100,000.

What brings people to Clifton?

By virtue of its location, Clifton provides easy access to the agriculture-rich region of southwest Colorado. It sits near wineries, orchards and farms with all varieties of seasonal produce, as well as access to good locations for outdoor recreation, according to online travel guide Uncover Colorado.

What are the worst places to live in neighboring states?

The 24/7 Wall St. report taps New Kingman-Butler, Arizona; Price, Utah; Riverton, Wyoming; Española, New Mexico; Lexington, Nebraska; Poteau, Oklahoma; and Augusta, Kansas, as the worst cities in their respective states.

Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.

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