Tuberculosis in North Carolina: trends across two decades, 1980-1999

Epidemiology of Tuberculosis in Immigrants in a Large City with Large-Scale Immigration (1991-2013)

BACKGROUND

The increase in immigration in Barcelona between 2000 and 2008 forced a reorganization of the control of tuberculosis (TB). TB clinical units (TBCU) were created and community health workers (CHW) were gradually included.

OBJECTIVE

To understand trends in the incidence of TB among immigrants, their main characteristics and treatment compliance during the period 1991-2013.

DESIGN

We conducted a cross-sectional population-based study of cases detected among immigrants by the Tuberculosis Program in Barcelona, Spain. Sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and risk factors were described. The annual incidence was calculated for various periods and geographical areas of origin. In the linear trend analysis, a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

We detected 3,284 cases. Incidence decreased from 144.8/100,000 inhabitants in 1991 to 53.4/100,000 in 2013. Individuals born in Pakistan-India-Bangladesh had the highest average annual incidence (675/100,000). In all, 2,156 cases (65.7%) were male. 2,272 (69.2%) had pulmonary TB, of which 48.2% were smear-positive. 33% of the cases (1,093) lived in the inner city. Contact tracing (CT) coverage in smear-positive individuals rose from 56.8% in 1991-1999 to 81.4% in 2000-2013 (p<0.01); this value was less than 50% in people from Africa and Eastern European countries. The case fatality rate was 3.6% overall and 9.8% among those born in high-income countries (p<0.01). The highest rate of treatment default (12.8%) was observed among cases from the Maghreb. The rate of successful treatment increased from 69.9% in 1991-1999 to 87.5% in 2000-2013 (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

The incidence of TB in immigrants is decreasing in Barcelona. Organizational actions, such as incorporating CHWs and TBCUs, have been decisive for the observed improvements.

Tuberculosis among foreign-born children in the State of Florida, 1993–1999: A re-emergence phase after a sustained decline?

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine the temporal trend of tuberculosis disease among foreign-born children in the State of Florida.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Descriptive population-based study on data obtained from the Tuberculosis Control and Surveillance Program in the State of Florida. We employed Poisson assumption to derive estimates for rates of tuberculosis among US-born and foreign-born children in the studied population. We also applied linear and non-linear regression equations to describe the best trajectories for observed temporal trends in incidence cases of the disease.

PATIENTS

All cases of tuberculosis disease among children notified in the State of Florida between 1993 and 1999 inclusive.

MAIN RESULTS

The incidence rate of TB over the study period was five times higher among foreign-born children (11.3 per 10(5); CI = 8.0-14.6 per 10(5)) as compared to US-born (1.7 per 10(5); CI = 0.8-4.2 per 10(5)). Whereas, new cases of TB among US-born children have continuously and significantly dropped throughout the period of study, our data indicated that the decline achieved from 1993 to 1996 among foreign-born children has ceased, and a resurgence of tuberculosis in this population was apparent.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data tend to suggest a re-emergence of tuberculosis among foreign-born children in the State of Florida as from 1997 after several years of decline. There is a need for a more in-depth investigation to elucidate and address causes responsible for the resurgence if the current battle to eliminate tuberculosis from the State is to succeed.