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Posted: Monday, October 29th, 2012 9:10 AM HST

State concerned over drug resistant tuberculosis

By Ken Hupp - 67AM KPUA News

State health officials say they are concerned about an increase in drug-resistant cases of tuberculosis in Hawai`i. The state has seen 104 tuberculosis cases of all types this year, including four drug-resistant cases, compared to just one year and the highest to date. Treating tuberculosis typically costs around $200 per patient. However, once the disease becomes drug-resistant, the cost can exceed $500,000 per case. Hawai`i had the second-highest rate of active tuberculosis cases in the nation in 2011 and was Number 1 in 2010. In both years, Hawai`i’s rate was more than twice the national average. The state has a higher rate of the disease because of a high proportion of immigrants and travelers from Asia and the Pacific islands, where the disease is prevalent.