High rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among socially marginalized immigrants in low-incidence area, 1991-2010, Italy.

ABSTRACT: Migration from low- and middle-income countries to high-income countries increasingly determines the severity of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the adopted country. Socially marginalized groups, about whom little is known, may account for a reservoir of TB among the immigrant populations. We investigated the rates of and risk factors for Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission, infection, and disease in a cohort of 27,358 socially marginalized immigrants who were systematically screened (1991-2010) in an area of Italy with low TB incidence. Overall TB and latent TB infection prevalence and annual tuberculin skin testing conversion rates (i.e., incidence of new infection) were 2.7%, 34.6%, and 1.7%, respectively. Prevalence of both TB and latent TB infection and incidence of infection increased

SUBMITTER: Baussano I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3810899 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature