Many residents were wary of medical workers who first tried to test for TB (see below). Poverty has affected how testing and treatment of TB have been handled in Marion. The unemployment rate is twice the state average. Perry County, of which Marion is the county seat, is the poorest county in Alabama, which is the fourth poorest state in the country by median household income in Perry County, 26 percent of residents live below the poverty line and the annual per-capita income is $13,000. How does this happen in the United States? The Poorest County in Alabama The incidence rate of TB in Marion, 253 cases per 100,000 people, is not only 100 times higher than the state’s rate, but also worse than many developing countries’ including Afghanistan, India, and South Sudan. The incidence rate is currently 100 times higher than the state’s, and officials expect the number of infected residents to increase as more people are tested.

In the town of fewer than 3,600 people, 29 had been diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB) – three of whom have died – six people in other cities in Alabama were diagnosed with cases of active TB linked to the Marion outbreak, and more than 150 other residents have been infected but are not yet showing symptoms.

In January 2016, the small town of Marion, Alabama made national headlines for the tuberculosis outbreak that has gripped the residents for the last few years. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit

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