Tuberculosis among foreign-born persons who had recently arrived in the United States--Hawaii, 1992-1993, and Los Angeles County, 1993.

During 1986-1994, the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases reported annually among foreign-born persons in the United States increased 55% (from 4925 to 7627), and the proportion of all cases accounted for by persons who were foreign-born increased from 22% to 32%--increases that reflect, in part, effects of recent immigration (1). The largest numbers of foreign-born persons with TB originated from Mexico, Philippines, and Vietnam; persons from these countries currently account for the largest numbers of recent immigrants to the United States (2). This report summarizes a review of foreign-born persons in whom TB was diagnosed in Hawaii during 1992-1993 and in Los Angeles County during 1993 and assesses the impact of screening on the identification of TB among foreign-born persons residing in the United States for < or = 1 year at the time of diagnosis.