Tampa — The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County will offer Free HIV/ STD and TB testing on March 24th from 7:30 A.M. to 3 P.M. at their downtown location, 1105 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33602. The Free testing is being offered in recognition of World TB Day.
World TB Day is celebrated on March 24th of each year commemorating the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes TB. This day is recognized by premier health organizations in the United States and across the globe including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
World TB Day is an event to promote TB awareness, education, testing, and prevention in order to reduce the TB mortality rate across the globe. The theme for World TB Day 2014 is “Reach the Three Million.” According to the Stop TB Partnership, “Of the nine million people each year who get sick with TB, a third of them do not get the TB services that they deserve. Many of these three million people live in the world’s poorest, most vulnerable communities.” TB is a global concern.
TB is transmitted through the air. When an individual with active TB disease
coughs, sneezes, speaks, sings, or even laughs, they spread droplets
contaminated with TB germs into the air. If another person breathes in those
germs, they can become infected with TB. Someone who is infected with TB is
not contagious, while someone with active TB disease is contagious.
The Florida Department of Health has three priorities in the fight against TB: Identify and treat until cure all active cases of TB disease, evaluate and treat contacts to active TB cases, and provide targeted testing and treatment for high risk populations. Through these public health efforts, there can be a reduction in the number of active TB cases and TB-associated moralities worldwide.
For more information about the about Florida’s Statewide TB program, and Florida’s System of Tuberculosis Care please click here.
For more information about the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, please visit www.hillscountyhealth.org.
Source: Hillsborough County Health Department
