Tuberculosis among Full-Time Teachers in Southeast China, 2005–2016

Abstract

Objective: To explore the incidence rate and characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) among full-time teachers from 2005 to 2016 in southeast China and to provide a basis for TB prevention and control measures in schools. Methods: Information about full-time teachers with TB was obtained from the National Tuberculosis Information Management System (NTIMS). Population data were collected from the Zhejiang Statistical Yearbook and the Zhejiang Education Yearbook. The TB incidence rates and epidemiological characteristics of full-time teachers were analyzed and the Chi-square test was used to analyze influencing factors of epidemiological characteristics and clinical characteristics, case-finding delay, and treatment outcomes. Results: A total of 1795 teachers with TB were reported from 2005 to 2016, and the annual incidence rate was 28.87 per 100,000. The average annual PTB (pulmonary TB) incidence rate among full-time teachers was 25.43/100,000 from 2005 to 2016 and the average annual PTB incidence rate among students was 15.40/100,000 from 2005 to 2016. The highest average incidence rates were observed in the QZ (Quzhou) and HZ (Hangzhou) districts. The male-to-female ratio of the patients was 0.95:1. Approximately half of the patients were 15–40 years old. The mean case-finding interval was 45.3 days. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of TB case-finding delay among full-time teachers revealed that the older (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.18–1.76, p < 0.01), not local (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.20–2.73, p < 0.01), retreatment (OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.39–3.08, p < 0.01) and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.13–2.61, p = 0.01) cases were at high risk of case-finding delay. Compared to physical examination, patients detected by referrals and tracking (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.16–4.38, p = 0.02) and patients who directly visited the designated TB hospital (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.03–3.88, p = 0.04) were more prone to case-finding delay. The cure rate of full-time teachers with TB was 77.10%. The cure rates differed significantly between groups classified based on age, case-finding patterns, diagnostic results, treatment classifications, and strategies of patient management. Conclusion: The TB incidence rate among full-time teachers decreased from 2005 to 2016, but teachers suffered a higher risk of TB than students. Western Zhejiang was a hotspot for TB incidence among full-time teachers. Female teacher and young and middle-aged teacher cases account for the majority of the reported patients. There was a case-finding delay among full-time teachers with TB. We should conduct regular physical examinations and strengthen full-course supervision to reduce the risk of TB patients with case-finding delay and increase the TB cure rate.

Analysis of the economic burden of diagnosis and treatment on patients with tuberculosis in Bao’an district of Shenzhen City, China

“…In addition, the study population is representative of most TB patients in Shenzhen City, because about 50% of all cases under DOTS came from the study site. The re-treatment rate in our study was 5.84%, which is similar to that reported in other studies, with a re-treatment rate of 6.7% in Shenzhen [36] and 6.4% in other provinces in China [37]. This indicates that our study was acceptably representative of the treatment conditions for TB patients in Shenzhen specifically and China generally.…”

<p>Profiling the mRNA and miRNA in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Subjects with Active Tuberculosis</p>

“…Tuberculosis (TB) is a worldwide disease mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which is one of the top ten causes of death in the world. 1 According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, there are 10 million people falling ill with TB each year, and the morbidity is more than 1.33‰, the annual death toll for Mtb infection is up to 1.5 million, 2 which lead to serious health problems and socioeconomic burdens. Therefore, it is particularly important to conduct early diagnosis and treatment for TB.…”

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Infectious Diseases

“…These articles provide novel insights into the interaction between space and time in the context of each specific infectious disease, providing new perspectives in the understanding of these pathologies and their extent. A total of 11 manuscripts [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11] were accepted after a single-blind review process by at least two international experts using the journal-specific review guidelines.…”

“…The different works corresponding to these articles were carried out in different geographical areas of several countries: China [2,5,6,7,8,10], Colombia [4], Ecuador [3], Korea [9], and Taiwan [1]. One of the studies deals with the analysis of an intracellular geometric model [11].…”

“…Several infectious diseases are addressed by studying their differentiated characteristics and relating them to relevant explanatory variables. The list of diseases studied includes typhoid and paratyphoid fevers [10]; Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) [9]; tuberculosis [8]; bacillary dysentery [7]; cystic echinococcosis [6]; hand, foot, and mouth disease [5]; zika virus disease (ZVD) [4]; dengue [1,3,4]; and hepatitis [2,11].…”