SETTING: Municipalities of Baerum and Oslo, Norway. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness of tuberculosis (TB) screening in asylum seekers 1987-1995, and to describe TB incidence rates after arrival. DESIGN: Register-based, retrospective cohort study of 19912 asylum seekers with a mean follow-up of 6.3 years. RESULTS: Seventy-six persons were diagnosed with TB, of whom 43 (57%) had pulmonary TB. Twenty-two cases (17 pulmonary) were found through screening at entry. Eleven persons had abnormal mass miniature X-rays (MMRs), but had inadequate follow-up and were diagnosed later through passive case finding. MMR itself had a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 98% for pulmonary TB, diagnosed within 1 year after arrival. TB prevalence at entry was 110/100000; for Somalis it was 577/100000. Incidence rates were stable in the total cohort after arrival, whereas rates for extra-pulmonary TB in Somalis increased. CONCLUSIONS: Screening on entry should continue, but follow-up of abnormal MMRs must be improved. There should be more emphasis on treatment of latent infection.
SETTING: Municipalities of Baerum and Oslo, Norway. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness of tuberculosis (TB) screening in asylum seekers 1987-1995, and to describe TB incidence rates after arrival. DESIGN: Register-based, retrospective cohort study of 19912 asylum seekers with a mean follow-up of 6.3 years. RESULTS: Seventy-six persons were diagnosed with TB, of whom 43 (57%) had pulmonary TB. Twenty-two cases (17 pulmonary) were found through screening at entry. Eleven persons had abnormal mass miniature X-rays (MMRs), but had inadequate follow-up and were diagnosed later through passive case finding. MMR itself had a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 98% for pulmonary TB, diagnosed within 1 year after arrival. TB prevalence at entry was 110/100000; for Somalis it was 577/100000. Incidence rates were stable in the total cohort after arrival, whereas rates for extra-pulmonary TB in Somalis increased. CONCLUSIONS: Screening on entry should continue, but follow-up of abnormal MMRs must be improved. There should be more emphasis on treatment of latent infection.
Authors: Ingunn Harstad; Geir W Jacobsen; Einar Heldal; Brita A Winje; Saeed Vahedi; Anne-Sofie Helvik; Sigurd L Steinshamn; Helge Garåsen Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2010-11-04 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Nicholas D Walter; John Painter; Matthew Parker; Phillip Lowenthal; Jennifer Flood; Yunxin Fu; Redentor Asis; Randall Reves Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2014-01-01 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: Florian M Marx; Lena Fiebig; Barbara Hauer; Bonita Brodhun; Gisela Glaser-Paschke; Klaus Magdorf; Walter Haas Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-06-10 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Ingunn Harstad; Einar Heldal; Sigurd L Steinshamn; Helge Garåsen; Geir W Jacobsen Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2009-05-14 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Anna Crepet; Ernestina Repetto; Ahmad Al Rousan; Monica Sané Schepisi; Enrico Girardi; Tullio Prestileo; Luigi Codecasa; Silvia Garelli; Salvatore Corrao; Giuseppe Ippolito; Tom Decroo; Barbara Maccagno Journal: Int Health Date: 2016-05-20 Impact factor: 2.473