SETTING: A community in Southern Mexico with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the transmission dynamics in a region with a DOTS-based tuberculosis control program. DESIGN: Community-based screening of chronic coughers between 1 March 1995 and 31 August 1996. Individuals with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in their sputum were enrolled, interviewed, and had mycobacterial cultures and fingerprinting performed. In-depth interviews were conducted on all persons with DNA fingerprinting. RESULTS: AFB smears were performed on 1424 individuals, 124 of whom were microbiologically confirmed. Of the 95 cases for whom bacterial DNA fingerprints were available, 38 were in clusters. The largest cluster involved seven individuals who were members of a social network centered on a series of unlicensed bars. CONCLUSION: This population-based molecular epidemiologic study showed that a focus of transmission within a social network accounted for one fourth of transmission which rapidly progressed to disease. These observations raise questions about the potential benefit of targeted tuberculosis control interventions in health jurisdictions approaching WHO-defined DOTS benchmarks.
SETTING: A community in Southern Mexico with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the transmission dynamics in a region with a DOTS-based tuberculosis control program. DESIGN: Community-based screening of chronic coughers between 1 March 1995 and 31 August 1996. Individuals with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in their sputum were enrolled, interviewed, and had mycobacterial cultures and fingerprinting performed. In-depth interviews were conducted on all persons with DNA fingerprinting. RESULTS: AFB smears were performed on 1424 individuals, 124 of whom were microbiologically confirmed. Of the 95 cases for whom bacterial DNA fingerprints were available, 38 were in clusters. The largest cluster involved seven individuals who were members of a social network centered on a series of unlicensed bars. CONCLUSION: This population-based molecular epidemiologic study showed that a focus of transmission within a social network accounted for one fourth of transmission which rapidly progressed to disease. These observations raise questions about the potential benefit of targeted tuberculosis control interventions in health jurisdictions approaching WHO-defined DOTS benchmarks.
Authors: M-E Jiménez-Corona; L García-García; K DeRiemer; L Ferreyra-Reyes; M Bobadilla-del-Valle; B Cano-Arellano; S Canizales-Quintero; A Martínez-Gamboa; P M Small; J Sifuentes-Osornio; A Ponce-de-León Journal: Thorax Date: 2006-01-31 Impact factor: 9.139
Authors: James R Hargreaves; Delia Boccia; Carlton A Evans; Michelle Adato; Mark Petticrew; John D H Porter Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2011-02-17 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Maria De Lourdes García-García; Alfredo Ponce-De-León; Maria Cecilia García-Sancho; Leticia Ferreyra-Reyes; Manuel Palacios-Martínez; Javier Fuentes; Midori Kato-Maeda; Miriam Bobadilla; Peter Small; José Sifuentes-Osornio Journal: Emerg Infect Dis Date: 2002-11 Impact factor: 6.883