MMWR

What do you do when a student comes to you and asks if there is a resurgence of TB in the USA? For me the answer is obvious.....go to MMWR. The Centers for Disease Control publishes a weekly online report, 'Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report', that provides current statistics on reportable diseases in the USA. The weekly report also contains articles on current events concerning diseases no matter where they may occur.

It was quite easy to go to the CDC MMWR website and immediately find an article entitled "Trends in Tuberculosis --- United States, 2008". The answer to the students question is "In 2008, the number of TB cases and annual TB rate reached all-time lows in the United States."

If you are interested in disease, MMWR is for you. My question....how many cases of leprosy have there been in the USA so far this year? A cookie for the correct answer.