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Surveillance, control needed to reduce TB burden among international travelers
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PHILADELPHIA — Enhanced surveillance and control is needed among foreign-born travelers entering low tuberculosis-burden countries because this population accounts for a disproportionate burden of tuberculosis, according to data presented here.
Despite the overall decrease in TB in the United States, from 4.6 cases/100,000 population in 2006 to 3.6 cases/100,000 population in 2010, the proportion of cases in foreign-born people increased from 57% to 60.5%, according to a team of researchers led by William L. Jackson, MD, PhD, of the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
Data were pooled from the CDC Quarantine Activity Reporting System, and reports of ill travelers were assessed at international US ports between 2006 and 2009.
The researchers identified 658 travelers, including immigrants, refugees, students and migrant groups, with TB during the study period. Of these, 22% were US citizens, 10% had passports from India, 9% were from the Philippines, 9% were from Mexico, 4% were from China, 3% were from Vietnam, 2% were from South Korea and the remaining 40% were from other countries.
“Continued investment in disease control programs is needed in the high TB-burden countries where these travelers originated,” the researchers wrote in the abstract.
For more information:
- Jackson WL. #LB-2233. Presented at: the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 60th Annual Meeting; Dec. 4-8, 2011; Philadelphia.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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