Smear-positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Cases Research Articles

Tuberculosis in Poland in 2021.

To evaluate the main features of epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in 2021 in Poland and to compare with the situation in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries. Analysis of case-based data on TB patients from National TB Register, data on anti-TB drug susceptibility in cases notified in 2021, data from Statistics Poland on deaths from tuberculosis in 2020, data from National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute (NIPH NIH - NRI) on HIV-positive subjects for whom TB was an AIDS-defining disease, data from the report "European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, WHO Regional Office for Europe. Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 2022 - 2021 data. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe and Stockholm: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; 2022." In 2021, 3704 TB cases were reported in Poland. The incidence rate was 9.7 cases per 100,000 with large variability between voivodeships from 5.4 to 12.6 per 100,000. A decrease in the incidence with respect to 2020 was found in 8 voivodeships, the most significant in lubuskie voivodship (42.6%). The number of all pulmonary tuberculosis cases was 3,553 i.e. 9.3 per 100,000. Pulmonary cases represented 95.9% of all TB cases. In 2021, 151 extrapulmonary TB cases were notified (4.1% of all TB cases). Pulmonary tuberculosis was bacteriologically confirmed in 2,970 cases (83.6% of all pulmonary TB cases, the incidence rate 7.8 per 100,000). The number of smear-positive pulmonary TB cases was 2,085 i.e. 5.5 per 100,000 (58.7% of all pulmonary TB cases). In 2021, there were 54 cases (25 of foreign origin) with multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) representing 1.9% of cases with known drug sensitivity. The incidence rates of tuberculosis were growing along with the age group from 0.6 per 100,000 among children (0-14 years) to 15.8 per 100,000 among subjects in the age group 45-64 years, the incidence rate in the age group ≥65 years was 11.7 per 100,000. There were 37 cases in children up to 14 years of age (1.0% of the total) and 51 cases in adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age - rates 0.6 and 2.8 per 100,000 respectively. In 2021, there were 2,690 cases of tuberculosis in men and 1,014 in women. The TB incidence in men - 14.6 per 100,000 was almost 3.0 times higher than among women - 5.1. The biggest difference in the TB incidence between the two sex groups occurred in persons aged 55-59 years, 30.5 vs. 6.6 and in age group 60 to 64 years, 26.0 vs. 5.7. In 2021, there were 132 patients of foreign origin among all cases of tuberculosis in Poland (3.6%). In 2020, TB was the cause of death for 474 people (mortality rate - 1.2 per 100,000). The incidence of tuberculosis in Poland in 2021 was 10.2% higher than in 2020. The percentage of tuberculosis cases with bacteriological confirmation was 82.6%, higher than the average in EU/EEA countries (72.0%). The percentage of MDR-TB cases was lower than the average in EU/EEA countries (1.9% vs. 3.8%). The highest incidence rates are found in Poland in the older age groups (in EU/EEA countries in people aged 25 to 44). The percentage of children up to 14 years of age among the total number of TB patients was 1.0%, the average in the EU/EEA countries was 3.5%. The incidence of tuberculosis in men was nearly three times higher than in women in Poland. The impact of migration on the epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Poland in 2021 was smaller than in the EU/EEA countries (in Poland, the percentage of foreigners among all TB patients was 3.6 vs. 33.8% in the EU/EEA).

Diagnostic accuracy of cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test and resistance pattern in new and previously treated tuberculosis cases: A prospective observational study

Background: Diagnostic methods, particularly sputum microscopy, are the standard method for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in many settings. The emergence of cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) as a newer diagnostic tool for TB has shown promising results. CBNAAT is a rapid molecular test that detects the genetic material of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the bacterium causing TB, in sputum samples. It offers higher sensitivity and faster results compared to sputum microscopy. Aim: The study aimed to 1) compare the diagnostic accuracy of CBNAAT in detecting smear-positive and smear-negative pulmonary TB cases, and 2) compare rifampicin resistance prevalence between newly diagnosed and previously treated pulmonary TB patients. Methodology: A hospital-based prospective study was conducted in the Respiratory Medicine Department of Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital, Jamnagar, on PTB patients from August 2019 to December 2020. Data were collected through a self-structured questionnaire that included detailed clinical history, radiological, biochemical, and microbiological investigations. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed to present data as percentages and frequencies. Diagnostic accuracy analysis was conducted. A P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of 150 cases, 104 (69.3 %) were male, while 46 (30.7%) were female. Sixty-one percent of new and 86% of previously treated cases were male, whereas 39% of new and 14% of previously treated cases were female. The sensitivity of sputum smear microscopy is 77.33% in cases of PTB, whereas sputum CBNAAT detected 94% of cases of PTB. The sensitivity of CBNAAT for MTB detection in smear microscopy–positive samples was 93.97%, whereas the sensitivity in smear microscopy–negative samples was 94.12%. Regarding rifampicin resistance, the prevalence was lower in newly diagnosed (3/100) compared to previously treated patients with rifampicin-resistant PTB (3/50). Conclusion: These findings suggest that CBNAAT can be a valuable tool for the detection of TB, particularly in cases where sputum smear microscopy results are negative. However, further research is needed to validate these results and evaluate the clinical implications of using CBNAAT in routine TB diagnostics.

Prevalence of Smear-Positive, Rifampicin-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Related Factors Among Residents with Cough in Northern Ethiopian Refugee Health Facilities.

To ascertain the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) among refugees suspected of tuberculosis (TB) and related risk factors, including smear-positive and Rifampicin-resistant M.tb. A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2020 and May 2020 among 384 refugees in four refugee camps in Northwest Tigray, Ethiopia. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from refugees with a history of cough for more than two weeks prospectively. Spot-spot sputum samples were collected and transported in an ice box to the Shire Suhul Hospital Microbiology laboratory; and then examined using a Fluorescent Microscope. All smear-positive samples were further processed by GeneXpert to detect Rifampicin-resistant MTB. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The overall prevalence of smear-positive PTB infection was 5.5% (21/384), but No TB case was resistant to Rifampicin detected by GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay. About 70% of the smear-positive pulmonary TB identified were females. Five (23.8%) of the smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases were co-infected by HIV. Sharing of drink and food materials (AOR = 4.36, 95% CI = 1.19-15.89), active TB contact (AOR 7.24, 95% CI = 1.62-32.125), BMI (AOR = 5.23, 95% CI = 1.28-21.29), opening window practice (AOR = 4.32, 95% CI = 1.02-18.30) and HIV status (AOR = 9.36, 95% CI = 1.64-53.35) were statistically significant predisposing factors. The prevalence of smear-positive pulmonary TB among northwest Tigray refugee camps was still high. The prevalence of TB/HIV co-infection was also high. Minimizing close contact with active TB cases, reducing malnutrition, rapid TB/HIV screening, and establishing a ventilation system can reduce the transmission of TB among refugees.

Burden of type 2 diabetes among pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis patients diagnosed in a tertiary care institute in Puducherry

Background: Most often diabetes and tuberculosis present together and complicate each other at many levels. Studies show people with diabetes were at three times higher risk of developing tuberculosis. Study done in Kerala have reported that the prevalence of diabetes is higher among males and among smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases. Objective was to measure the burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus among pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis patients diagnosed in a tertiary care institute in Puducherry. Methods: Data was obtained from National tuberculosis elimination programme (NTEP) referral register of Pondicherry Institute of Medical Science. All the patients who have diagnosed to have tuberculosis from January 2022 to July 2022 were included. Diabetic status among pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients was also collected. Results: Among the patients with tuberculosis, 67% of patients were males. A total of 38.8% of cases were found to have diabetes and out of these cases, 23.8% of patients were known case of diabetes and 16.4%of cases were patients with newly diagnosed diabetes. It is observed that, among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 32.8% of cases and among patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis 5.9% of cases were found to have diabetes. Conclusions: The present study showed that burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus was more among pulmonary tuberculosis.

CLINICAL PHARMACIST INTERVENTIONS ON MILIARY KOCH’S PATIENT WITH ANTITUBERCULAR THERAPY-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY AND PSYCHOSIS: A RARE CASE REPORT

Psychosis and hepatotoxicity are the dangerous side effects of the antitubercular drugs directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) therapy. Hematological spreading of tubercular bacteria in the lungs is also known as miliary tuberculosis. In this case study, 45-year-old man, weighing 55 kg was brought to the hospital with the chief complaints of vomiting (multiple episodes), fever, pain in abdomen, difficulty in breathing, mucoid cough, and disturbed sleep for the past 1 week. He had a known case of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (in the past 1 month), but at that time, patient was not taking regular antitubercular treatment (ATT) medications (DOTS therapy). After 3th week of irregular antitubercular drug treatment, patient developed with the problems such as vomiting (multiple episodes), fever, pain in abdomen, difficulty in breathing, cough with expectorations, disturbed in sleep, and delirium. Pulmonologists had found the provisional and final diagnosis on the bases of subjective and objective observations miliary KOCH’S with antitubercular drugs induced hepatotoxicity and psychosis. Patients recovered from psychosis and hepatotoxicity withdrawn the first line ATT medication and tablet pyridoxine, antipsychotic medicines, and modified ATT were added in the therapy. Psychotic in a patient on ATT can be one of the complications of tablet isoniazid. As a clinical pharmacologist, we prevent and minimize drugs-induced complications and adverse drug reactions. Proper patients counseling and patients’ education are important for the better management of patients.

Calcified post-tuberculosis nodule at an unusual site

Abstract Calcification is one of the post-treatment sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and an isolated calcified pulmonary nodule representing granuloma in a lung fissure is rarely detected. We report the case of pulmonary nodule with calcification within the minor fissure of the right lung in a treated case of smear-positive pulmonary TB. As an incidental finding, a solitary post-tuberculous calcified granuloma may not have clinical significance but has to be differentiated from relapse of TB and other pathologic conditions particularly neoplasms. A computed tomographic scan of the chest is very useful for the detection and detailed evaluation of a pulmonary nodule such as its size, margins, doubling time, pattern of calcification and presence of cavitation and can help to identify whether the pulmonary nodule is benign or malignant.

Incidence and treatment outcomes of pulmonary tuberculosis in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common type of tuberculosis and few studies have investigated the incidence and treatment outcome of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in Golestan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran. To estimate the cumulative incidence and trends in incidence of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in Golestan Province between 2014 and 2019, and to determine the treatment outcomes. All smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases between 2014 and 2019 recorded in the tuberculosis registry in Golestan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran, were included in this study. The yearly incidence and cumulative incidence were calculated, and differences by sex and residence were examined. Treatment outcomes classified as success and failure were determined. The Mann-Kendall test was used to assess the significance of the trend in incidence. A total of 2047 smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases were evaluated. The cumulative incidence was 18.52 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 17.72-19.33] per 100 000 population during 2014-2019. The incidence of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis declined from 23.84 (95% CI: 21.57-26.11) per 100 000 population in 2014 to 15.02 (95% CI: 13.29- 16.75) in 2019. Incidence rate was higher among men and among rural residents. Most patients (85.34%) were cured, 2.05% completed their treatment, 1.17% were lost to follow-up, 4.40% had treatment failure, and 6.45% died. The incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Golestan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran, declined during the period of study. However, the proportion of patients who were cured decreased and the proportion who died increased. Interventions are needed to improve the treatment success rate for pulmonary tuberculosis in the province.

Use of standardised patients to assess tuberculosis case management by private pharmacies in Patna, India: A repeat cross-sectional study.

As the first point of care for many healthcare seekers, private pharmacies play an important role in tuberculosis (TB) care. However, previous studies in India have showed that private pharmacies commonly dispense symptomatic treatments and broad-spectrum antibiotics over-the-counter (OTC), rather than referring patients for TB testing. Such inappropriate management by pharmacies can delaye TB diagnosis. We assessed medical advice and OTC drug dispensing practices of pharmacists for standardized patients presenting with classic symptoms of pulmonary TB (case 1) and for those with sputum smear positive pulmonary TB (case 2), and examined how practices have changed over time in an urban Indian site. We examined how and whether private pharmacies improved practices for TB in 2019 compared to a baseline study conducted in 2015 in the city of Patna, using the same survey sampling techniques and study staff. The proportion of patient-pharmacist interactions that resulted in correct or ideal management, as well as the proportion of interactions resulting in antibiotic, quinolone, and corticosteroid are presented, with standard errors clustered at the provider level. To assess the difference in case management and the use of drugs across the two cases by round, a difference in difference (DiD) model was employed. A total of 936 SP interactions were completed over both rounds of survey. Our results indicate that across both rounds of data collection, 331 of 936 (35%; 95% CI: 32-38%) of interactions were correctly managed. At baseline, 215 of 500 (43%; 95% CI: 39-47%) of interactions were correctly managed whereas 116 of 436 (27%; 95% CI: 23-31%) were correctly managed in the second round of data collection. Ideal management, where in addition to a referral, patients were not prescribed any potentially harmful medications, was seen in 275 of 936 (29%; 95% CI: 27-32%) of interactions overall, with 194 of 500 (39%; 95% CI: 35-43%) of interactions at baseline and 81 of 436 (19%; 95% CI: 15-22%) in round 2. No private pharmacy dispensed anti-TB medications without a prescription. On average, the difference in correct case management between case 1 vs. case 2 dropped by 20 percent points from baseline to the second round of data collection. Similarly, ideal case management decreased by 26 percentage points between rounds. This is in contrast with the dispensation of medicines, which had the opposite effect between rounds; the difference in dispensation of quinolones between case 1 and case 2 increased by 14 percentage points, as did corticosteroids by 9 percentage points, antibiotics by 25 percentage points and medicines generally by 30 percentage points. Our standardised patient study provides valuable insights into how private pharmacies in an Indian city changed their management of patients with TB symptoms or with confirmed TB over a 5-year period. We saw that overall, private pharmacy performance has weakened over time. However, no OTC dispensation of anti-TB medications occurred in either survey round. As the first point of contact for many care seekers, continued and sustained efforts to engage with Indian private pharmacies should be prioritized.

Tuberculosis in Poland in 2020.

To evaluate the main features of epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in 2020 in Poland and to compare with the situation in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries. Analysis of case-based data on TB patients from National TB Register, data on anti-TB drug susceptibility in cases notified in 2020, data from Statistics Poland on deaths from tuberculosis in 2019, data from National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute (NIPH NIH - NRI) on HIV-positive subjects for whom TB was an AIDS-defining disease, data from the report "European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, WHO Regional Office for Europe. Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 2022 - 2020 data. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe and Stockholm: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; 2022." In 2020, 3,388 TB cases were reported in Poland. The incidence rate was 8.8 cases per 100,000 with large variability between voivodeships from 5.5 to 13.3 per 100,000. A decrease in the incidence was found in 15 voivodeships, the most significant in Śląskie voivodship (63.9%). The number of all pulmonary tuberculosis cases was 3,237 i.e. 8.4 per 100,000. Pulmonary cases represented 95.5% of all TB cases. In 2020, 151 extrapulmonary TB cases were notified (4.5% of all TB cases). Pulmonary tuberculosis was bacteriologically confirmed in 2,573 cases (79.5% of all pulmonary TB cases, the incidence rate 6.7 per 100,000). The number of smear-positive pulmonary TB cases was 1,771 i.e. 4.6 per 100,000 (54.7% of all pulmonary TB cases). In 2020, there were 38 cases (15 of foreign origin) with multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) representing 1.6% of cases with known drug sensitivity. The incidence rates of tuberculosis were growing along with increasing age from 0.7 per 100,000 among children (0-14 years) to 15.0 per 100,000 among subjects in the age group 45-64 years, the incidence rate in the age group ≥65 years was 12.1 per 100,000. There were 39 cases in children up to 14 years of age (1.2% of the total) and 49 cases in adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age - rates 0.7 and 2.7 per 100,000 respectively. In 2020, there were 2,506 cases of tuberculosis in men and 882 in women. The TB incidence in men - 13.5 per 100,000 was 3.0 times higher than among women - 4.5. The biggest difference in the TB incidence between the two sex groups occurred in persons aged 50-54 years - 26.8 vs. 4.1 and in age group 55 to 59 years - 28.7 vs. 4.8. In 2020, there were 116 patients of foreign origin among all cases of tuberculosis in Poland (3.4%). In 2019, TB was the cause of death for 456 people (mortality rate - 1.2 per 100,000). TB incidence in Poland in 2020 was 36.7% lower than in 2019. Such significant declines in the incidence have not been observed in the last two decades. As in previous years, there were differences in incidence rates between voivodeships with an unexpectedly sharp decrease in incidence in Silesia (Śląskie voivodeship). The percentage of tuberculosis cases with bacteriological confirmation exceeded 78%, more than in EU/EEA countries (67.3%). The percentage of MDR-TB cases was still lower than the average in EU/EEA countries (1.6% vs. 3.8%). The highest incidence rates were found in Poland in the older age groups (EU/EEAaged 25 to 44). The percentage of children up to 14 years of age among the total number of TB patients was 1.2%, less than the average in EU/EEA countries (3.8%). The incidence of tuberculosis in men was three times higher than in women in Poland, and six times higher in patients aged 50 to 59. The impact of migration on the TB pattern in Poland has not yet become significant in 2020. The percentage of foreigners among TB patients was 3.4% (33% in EU/EEA countries).

Tuberculosis infection among children under six in contact with smear positive cases: A study in a hyper endemic area of Iran

IntroductionAnnually, tens of millions of children are being exposed to tuberculosisinfection. Note that children are in higher risk of getting infection and sever types of the disease, detecting the factors associated with transmission of the tuberculosis infection and disease to the exposed children is necessary for disease prevention within the community. MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, 50 children under 6 who were in close contact with 25 smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Sistan-Baloochistanprovine, Iran, were investigated. Demographic, behavioral and clinical characteristics of children and index cases were collected and tuberculosis infection and disease was assessed using the WHO guidelines. ResultsOf 50 children exposed to the active cases, 12 (24 %) were infected to tuberculosis but none of them had active disease. We also found significant associations of the history of diabetes mellitus in the index cases (p = 0.043) and large family size (p = 0.026) with the increased risk of infection among the exposed children. ConclusionChildren under six which are in close contact with diabetic tuberculosis cases in large families are in higher risk of getting infection.

Evaluating Diagnostic Utility of geneXpert Ultra (Mycobacterium tuberculosis/Rifampicin), Microscopy and Liquid Culture to Isolate Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Suspects

CONTEXT: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are posing major public health problems and have recently gained importance as they are being isolated from patients with pulmonary disorders. Most of the time, NTM are misinterpreted as tuberculosis (TB) and this misdiagnosis leads to treatment failure. Hence, this study aimed to identify NTMs isolated from suspected cases of pulmonary TB cases and was aimed to distinguish Mycobacterium TB (MTB) from NTM infections. AIMS: Our study aimed to compare microscopy grading of respiratory samples with the Ct values of GeneXpert Ultra (MTB/rifampicin [RIF]), to assess the diagnostic accuracy of microscopy, GeneXpert ultra (MTB/RIF), liquid culture, to compare GeneXpert ultra (MTB/RIF) results with microscopy with culture and clinical implications, importance of performing a rapid test for pulmonary TB and pulmonary NTM infections in suspected cases of adults. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study was conducted in the Mycobacteriology laboratory, Department of Microbiology, in Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. The study was a prospective, cross-sectional study, single center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 452 respiratory samples obtained from April to July 2023 were included in the study. Smearpositive pulmonary TB cases were identified and subjected to amplification by GeneXpert ultra (MTB/RIF) and 84 samples were GeneXpert ultra (MTB/RIF) positive and RIF sensitive. Liquid culture by mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) 960 was performed and for positive tubes, TB Ag MPT64 was performed. The results were compared and analyzed with patients’ demographic information. Clinical and radiological data from the requisition forms were assessed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: IBM SPSS statistics software version 22 was used. Correlations between GeneXpert ultra (MTB/RIF) Ct values and smear status were calculated by polychoric correlation. Extended McNemar’s test was used to find the association between the variables. RESULTS: GeneXpert ultra (MTB/RIF) yielded a positivity rate of 22.2% compared to smear microscopy 17.2%. Liquid culture yielded a positivity rate of 20.3%. Ct value and smear grading yielded a positive correlation (ρ = 0.8681; P &lt; 0.05). Undetected cases of TB by GeneXpert ultra (MTB/RIF) were identified as positive under liquid culture by MGIT 960. TB Ag MPT64 was performed and yielded NTM and speciated as Mycobacterium abscessus complex by line probe assay. CONCLUSIONS: Our study states the need for identification and differentiation of MTB from NTM.

Spatial distribution and computational modeling for mapping of tuberculosis in Pakistan.

Tuberculosis (TB) like many other infectious diseases has a strong relationship with climatic parameters. The present study has been carried out on the newly diagnosed sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB cases reported to National TB Control Program across Pakistan from 2007 to 2020. In this study, spatial and temporal distribution of the disease was observed through detailed district wise mapping and clustered regions were also identified. Potential risk factors associated with this disease depending upon population and climatic variables, i.e. temperature and precipitation were also identified. Nationwide, the incidence rate of TB was observed to be rising from 7.03% to 11.91% in the years 2007-2018, which then started to decline. However, a declining trend was observed after 2018-2020. The most populous provinces, Punjab and Sindh, have reported maximum number of cases and showed a temporal association as the climatic temperature of these two provinces is higher with comparison to other provinces. Machine learning algorithms Maxent, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Environmental Distance (ED) and Climate Space Model (CSM) predict high risk of the disease with14.02%, 24.75%, 34.81% and 43.89% area, respectively. SVM has a higher significant probability of prediction in the diseased area with a 1.86 partial receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) value as compared with other models.

Comparison of Ziehl-Neelsen Microscopy Technique and Genexpert in the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Sudanese Patients

Aim: The quality of tuberculosis diagnosis service is indispensable for early infection control and preventing unnecessary anti-tubercular therapy use. TB diagnosis in Sudan mainly relies on detecting tubercule bacilli using the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining technique. Thus, the current study aimed to compare the ZN microscopy with GeneXpert in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in TB laboratories center in Khartoum state, Sudan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the TB laboratories diagnosis center in Khartoum state from April 2019 to January 2020. A total of 183 sputum samples were processed and examined by the Ziel-Neelsen (ZN) technique and GeneXpert assay for the detection of tubercle bacilli. Results: Out of 183 sputum samples analyzed, 80.9% were AFB smear-positive, of which 65.6% were male patients. Most patients (57.4%) were within the age group of 20 – 39 years old. All smear-positive samples were detected positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by GeneXpert. However, one case of smear-positive PTB was given a negative result by GeneXpert. These results demonstrate that GeneXpert is crucial for confirming TB cases to control TB infection and avoid unnecessary anti-tubercular drug use. Conclusion: ZN microscopy can result in false positivity, which may lead to the misuse of anti-tuberculosis drugs. A positive test should also be confirmed by the GeneXpert and culture techniques. Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Tuberculosis, GeneXpert, Ziel-Neelsen stain

An explanation of the 15-year trend and investigation of the tuberculosis cascade in Kurdistan province

ObjectiveThis study's objectives were to describe the 15-year trend from 2005 to 2019 and examine the tuberculosis cascade in the Kurdistan province from 21 march 2018–20 march 2019. MethodsThis retrospective study was in 2744 patients with tuberculosis from 2005 to 2019 who were registered in Kurdistan disease registration centers. For the initial evaluation of demographic data, we utilized SPSS software version 20 and excel. Additionally, to design a care cascade, we utilized draw.io software for registered patients from 21 march 2018 to 20 march 2019 . As a result, 2489 new cases of tuberculosis remained in our study. ResultsThe results showed that the mean of age of people with tuberculosis was 58 years and sex distribution were 1441 (57.9) female and 1048 (42.1) male. Additionally, a cascade model showed that in Kurdistan Province, an estimated 112 new cases of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis, of which 90% (101 people) were sent to medical facilities and underwent diagnostic testing, with 80% of these patients (81 people). Infection was identified in 81 individuals, all of whom had their diagnoses recorded in the medical database. 82% (67 patients) of the patients who were enrolled in the treatment system received access to treatment, and 65 patients, or 97 percent, experienced no recurrence for at least a year after treatment. Correct diagnosis and therapy represented the biggest gap. ConclusionCascade can enhance surveillance program and focus activities to better cases, diagnose, connect to care, and help TB patients survive without recurrence.

Association between climate variables and pulmonary tuberculosis incidence in Brunei Darussalam

We investigated the association between climate variables and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) incidence in Brunei-Muara district, Brunei Darussalam. Weekly PTB case counts and climate variables from January 2001 to December 2018 were analysed using distributed lag non-linear model framework. After adjusting for long-term trend and seasonality, we observed positive but delayed relationship between PTB incidence and minimum temperature, with significant adjusted relative risk (adj.RR) at 25.1 °C (95th percentile) when compared to the median, from lag 30 onwards (adj.RR = 1.17 [95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 1.01, 1.36]), suggesting effect of minimum temperature on PTB incidence after 30 weeks. Similar results were observed from a sub-analysis on smear-positive PTB case counts from lag 29 onwards (adj.RR = 1.21 [95% CI: 1.01, 1.45]), along with positive and delayed association with total rainfall at 160.7 mm (95th percentile) when compared to the median, from lag 42 onwards (adj.RR = 1.23 [95% CI: 1.01, 1.49]). Our findings reveal evidence of delayed effects of climate on PTB incidence in Brunei, but with varying degrees of magnitude, direction and timing. Though explainable by environmental and social factors, further studies on the relative contribution of recent (through primary human-to-human transmission) and remote (through reactivation of latent TB) TB infection in equatorial settings is warranted.

Spoligotyping of Clinical Isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Species in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia.

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia. Investigation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) species circulating in the Ethiopian population would contribute to the efforts made to control TB in the country. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the MTBC species and spoligo patterns in the Oromia region (central) of Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was used to recruit 450 smear positive pulmonary TB (PTB) cases from the Oromia region between September 2017 and August 2018. Mycobacteria were isolated from sputum samples on the Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) medium. Molecular identification of the isolates was performed by spoligotyping. The results of spoligotyping were transferred into a query box in the SITVIT2 database and Run TB-Lineage in the TB Insight website for the identification of spoligo international type (SIT) number and linages of the isolates, respectively. Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) 20 was applied for statistical analysis.ResultsThree hundred and fifteen isolates were grouped under 181 different spoligotype patterns. The most dominantly isolated spoligotype pattern was SIT149 and it consisted of 23 isolates. The majority of the isolates were grouped under Euro-American (EA), East-African-Indian (EAI), and Indo-Oceanic (IO) lineages. These lineages consisted of 79.4, 9.8, and 9.8% of the isolates, respectively. One hundred and sixty-five of the isolates were classified under 31 clustered spoligotypes whereas the remaining 150 were singleton types. Furthermore, 91.1% of the total isolates were classified as orphan types. Clustering of spoligotypes was associated (p < 0.001) with EAI lineage.ConclusionSIT149 and EA lineage were predominantly isolated from the Oromia region substantiating the findings of the similar studies conducted in other regions of Ethiopia. The observation of significant number of singleton and orphan spoligotypes warrants for additional genetic typing of the isolates using method(s) with a better discriminatory power than spoligotyping.

Capture - recapture based study on the completeness of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis reporting in southwest Iran during 2016

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) is one of the ten leading causes of death in infectious diseases and one of the ten leading causes of death in the world. For any TB control program, a valid surveillance is essential. In order to assess the status of the assessment, the quality of the record and the completeness of reporting should be assessed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the completeness of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis reporting in Ahvaz, south west of Iran.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 in Ahvaz, southwest Iran. The study was conducted through a three-source Capture recapture method by collecting laboratory, hospital, physician prescription data; including patient referral to the health care center, prescriptions of patients receiving anti-tuberculosis drugs and prescriptions of medical TB diagnostic laboratories, and laboratory prescriptions. Percentage, mean and standard deviation were used to describe the variables. Data analysis was performed using log-linear model in Rcapture package R software.ResultsGenerally, 134 new cases of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients were reported through three sources from urban and rural regions during 2016. Pulmonary tuberculosis was reported through three sources from urban and rural regions during 2016. The most common age group was 25 to 44 years and 79.1% of the patient were man. The overall prevalence of new cases of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis was in persons that lived urban areas (97.8%). The completeness of reporting the disease estimated by log-linear model was 87.5% and the incidence rate was estimated to be 11.8 disease per 100,000 persons. Completeness of reporting of laboratory, hospital and physician resources were 79%, 30% and 16.3%, respectively.ConclusionsThe present study shows the necessity of evaluating the quality, completeness and linkage between data. Linking between data sources can improve the accuracy and completeness of TB surveillance.

Tuberculosis in Poland in 2019.

To evaluate the main features of epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in 2019 in Poland and to compare with the situation in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries. Analysis of case-based data on TB patients from National TB Register, data on anti-TB drug susceptibility in cases notified in 2019, data from Central Statistical Office on deaths from tuberculosis in 2018, data from National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene on HIV-positive subjects for whom TB was an AIDS-defining disease, data from the report "European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control/WHO Regional Office for Europe. Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 2021 - 2019 data". In 2019, 5321 TB cases were reported in Poland. The incidence rate was 13.9 cases per 100,000 with large variability between voivodeships from 8.0 to 20.0 per 100,000. The number of all pulmonary tuberculosis cases was 5075 i.e. 13.2 per 100,000. Pulmonary cases represented 95.4% of all TB cases. In 2019, 246 extrapulmonary TB cases were notified (4.6% of all TB cases). Pulmonary tuberculosis was bacteriologically confirmed in 3926 cases (77.4% of all pulmonary TB cases, the incidence rate 10.2 per 100,000). The number of smear-positive pulmonary TB cases was 2565 i.e. 6.7 per 100,000 ( 48.2% of all pulmonary TB cases). In 2019, there were 41 cases (18 of foreign origin) with multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) representing 1.1% of cases with known drug sensitivity. The incidence rates of tuberculosis were growing along with the age group from 1.4 per 100,000 among children (0-14 years) to 23.9 per 100,000 among subjects in the age group 45-64 years, the incidence rate in the age group ≥65 years was 19.8 per 100,000. There were 81 cases in children up to 14 years of age (1.5% of the total) and 48 cases in adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age - rates 1.4 and 2.6 per 100,000 respectively. In 2019, there were 3897 cases of tuberculosis in men and 1424 in women. The TB incidence in men - 21.0 per 100,000 was 2.9 times higher than among women - 7.2. The biggest difference in the TB incidence between the two sex groups occurred in persons aged 50-54 years - 40.2 vs. 8.1 and in age group 55 to 59 years - 45.1 vs. 9.0. In 2019, there were 121 patients of foreign origin among all cases of tuberculosis in Poland (2.3%). In 2018, TB was the cause of death for 519 people (mortality rate - 1.4 per 100,000). TB incidence in Poland in 2019 was lower than in the previous year. Differences in incidence between voivodships persist. The percentage of TB cases with bacteriological confirmation exceeded 75%, more than in EU/EEA countries (67.1%). In Poland, MDR-TB is less common than the average in the EU/EEA countries. In Poland, the highest incidence rates are found in older age groups. The percentage of children up to 14 years of age among all TB patients was 1.5%, lower than the average in EU/EEA countries (3.9%). The incidence of tuberculosis in men is nearly three times as high as in women. The impact of migration on the characteristics of tuberculosis in Poland is not substantial. The percentage of foreign-born persons among TB patients is low.

A Prospective Cohort Study on the Prevalent and Recurrent Tuberculosis Isolates Using the MIRU-VNTR Typing.

The study aims to describe the clustering characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) strains circulating in eastern China and determine the ratio of relapse and reinfection in recurrent patients. We recruited sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases from five cities of Jiangsu Province, China, during August 2013 and December 2015. Patients were followed for the treatment outcomes and recurrence based on a cohort design. M.tb strains were isolated and genotyped using the 12-locus MIRU-VNTR. The Beijing family was identified by the extended Region of Difference (RD) analysis. The Hunter-Gaston Discriminatory Index (HGDI) was used to judge the resolution ability of MIRU-VNTR. The odds ratio (OR) together with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to estimate the strength of association. We performed a cluster analysis on 2098 M.tb isolates and classified them into 545 genotypes and five categories (I, 0.19%; II, 0.43%; III, 3.34%; IV, 77.46%; V, 18.59%). After adjusting for potential confounders, the Beijing family genotype (OR = 118.63, 95% CI: 79.61–176.79, P = 0.001) was significantly related to the dominant strain infections. Patients infected with non-dominant strains had a higher risk of the pulmonary cavity (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.01–1.91, P = 0.046). Among 37 paired recurrent cases, 22 (59.46%) were determined as endogenous reactivation, and 15 (40.54%) were exogenous reinfection. The type of M.tb strains prevalent in Jiangsu Province is relatively single. Beijing family strains infection is dominant in local tuberculosis cases. Endogenous reactivation appears to be a major cause of recurrent tuberculosis in Eastern China. This finding emphasizes the importance of case follow-up and monitoring after the completion of antituberculosis treatment.

A study on coverage of isoniazid chemoprophylaxis among the household contacts of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases aged &lt;6 years under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme

A study on coverage of isoniazid chemoprophylaxis among the household contacts of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases aged &lt;6 years under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme