SETTING: Victoria, Australia. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology and control of tuberculosis (TB) in Victoria, 2005-2010. DESIGN: Retrospective review of laboratory-confirmed TB in Victoria, 2005-2010. State TB reference laboratory records were matched with Department of Health notification records to obtain laboratory, demographic, clinical and treatment data. RESULTS: The incidence of TB fell in the Australian-born population but increased overall, reflecting an increase in the proportion of overseas-born cases from 88.9% to 95.8% between 2005 and 2010 (P = 0.03). Patients from India and Viet Nam accounted for over one third of all cases. For overseas-born cases, the median time between arrival and diagnosis was 4 years. Half of all diagnoses were pulmonary disease, of which 45.4% were Ziehl-Neelsen smear-positive. Treatment was most commonly self-administered (76.9%), and very few patients defaulted or failed treatment (1.1%). Only 4.1% of cases were linked to another laboratory-confirmed case. Multidrug-resistant TB remained uncommon (1.7% of cases). CONCLUSIONS: TB in Victoria remains low by global standards and continues to overwhelmingly affect the overseas-born population. Current TB control strategies in Victoria are effective, but strengthened control in high-burden countries will also improve TB control locally.
SETTING: Victoria, Australia. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology and control of tuberculosis (TB) in Victoria, 2005-2010. DESIGN: Retrospective review of laboratory-confirmed TB in Victoria, 2005-2010. State TB reference laboratory records were matched with Department of Health notification records to obtain laboratory, demographic, clinical and treatment data. RESULTS: The incidence of TB fell in the Australian-born population but increased overall, reflecting an increase in the proportion of overseas-born cases from 88.9% to 95.8% between 2005 and 2010 (P = 0.03). Patients from India and Viet Nam accounted for over one third of all cases. For overseas-born cases, the median time between arrival and diagnosis was 4 years. Half of all diagnoses were pulmonary disease, of which 45.4% were Ziehl-Neelsen smear-positive. Treatment was most commonly self-administered (76.9%), and very few patients defaulted or failed treatment (1.1%). Only 4.1% of cases were linked to another laboratory-confirmed case. Multidrug-resistant TB remained uncommon (1.7% of cases). CONCLUSIONS: TB in Victoria remains low by global standards and continues to overwhelmingly affect the overseas-born population. Current TB control strategies in Victoria are effective, but strengthened control in high-burden countries will also improve TB control locally.
Authors: Luis A Marcos; Eric D Spitzer; Rahul Mahapatra; Yupo Ma; Tanya A Halse; Joseph Shea; Michelle Isabelle; Pascal Lapierre; Vincent E Escuyer Journal: Emerg Infect Dis Date: 2017-10 Impact factor: 6.883
Authors: Daniela Brites; Chloé Loiseau; Fabrizio Menardo; Sonia Borrell; Maria Beatrice Boniotti; Robin Warren; Anzaan Dippenaar; Sven David Charles Parsons; Christian Beisel; Marcel A Behr; Janet A Fyfe; Mireia Coscolla; Sebastien Gagneux Journal: Front Microbiol Date: 2018-11-27 Impact factor: 5.640
Authors: James M Trauer; Bridget Williams; Ingrid Laemmle-Ruff; Danielle Horyniak; Lila V Soares Caplice; Emma S McBryde; Suman S Majumdar; Stephen M Graham; Margaret E Hellard Journal: Lancet Reg Health West Pac Date: 2021-03-26