This panel-data study concerns the incidence of newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) in specific U. S. metropolitan areas among immigrants and, in turn, the possible transmission of the disease to the native-born population of these same metropolitan areas. The study includes 50 U. S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas as annual observations, 1993-2007. We find that a 10% increase in the number of high-incidence immigrants results in a 2.87% increase in TB among the foreign-born population, and that a 10% increase in the number of foreign-born TB cases increases the number of new TB cases among the native-born by 1.11%. The study concludes with a benefit/cost analysis of the societal cost of TB and suggests that testing all immigrants for TB would be a cost-effective method to limit the amount of TB that enters U. S. from abroad, thus limiting the transmission to both the foreign- and native-born populations. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Cost of disease United States tuberculosis immigrants

metropolitan area tuberculosis immigrant panel data cost-benefit analysis disease transmission United States immigration