Harris County Public Health Hosts World TB Day Workshop March 24

Harris County Public Health is hosting a free World Tuberculosis Day workshop today at the Harris County Department of Education Adult Education Learning Center, 6515 Irvington Blvd. in Houston (77022), running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. under the theme "TB Ends with Us." The event, announced in a March 20 press release, brings together public health professionals, healthcare providers, academic partners, and community stakeholders for expert-led presentations, discussions on TB prevention and health equity, and poster presentations showcasing innovative work.

The backdrop for the workshop is a stubborn local caseload. Harris County reported 269 TB cases in 2023, accounting for approximately 21% of all TB cases reported in Texas. Among all Texas counties, Harris carries the highest number of reported TB cases, ahead of Dallas, Bexar, Tarrant, and Hidalgo. Nationally, the CDC provisionally reported 10,347 TB cases in 2024, an 8% increase in case counts from 2023.

The workshop's agenda reflects that urgency. Attendees can gain insights into TB epidemiology and prevention strategies, engage in health equity and stigma reduction discussions, and explore community engagement best practices. Researchers and clinicians can also register for academic and professional poster presentations, with the top entry earning a featured 10-minute presentation slot. Lunch is included, though seating is limited and pre-registration is required at bit.ly/WTBD2026.

HCPH's press release frames the day's theme as a call to collective responsibility: "TB Ends with Us" highlights the critical role that individuals, healthcare providers, and communities each play in pushing toward elimination. The agency describes TB as one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, noting it spreads through the air when a person with active TB coughs, speaks, or sneezes, and most commonly attacks the lungs while potentially affecting other organs. Symptoms of active TB include a persistent cough lasting three weeks or longer, chest pain, coughing up blood or sputum, fever and chills, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue.

Harris County Public Health was recognized by the CDC for its Tuberculosis Elimination Program in 2025, and today's event extends that work into the community. The disease's local profile sharpened in August 2025 when two Klein Cain High School students were diagnosed with active tuberculosis, drawing renewed attention to transmission risks in shared spaces across the Houston area.

In Harris County, individuals identified as a contact to an active and contagious pulmonary TB case can receive a TB skin test or blood test at no cost. For the full press release, visit bit.ly/97ADPJL.