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Determining TB rates and TB case burden for refugees
D S Hadzibegovic1, S A Maloney, S T Cookson
1Refugee Health and Tuberculosis Program, DeKalb County Board of Health, Decatur, Georgia 30031, USA. dhadzib@netscape.net
Summary
Refugees exhibit significantly higher tuberculosis (TB) rates compared to US-born and other foreign-born individuals. Targeted public health programs are crucial for managing TB in this population.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Disease Control
Background:
- Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health concern, with varying incidence rates across different populations.
- Understanding TB burden within specific demographic groups, such as refugees, is essential for effective control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To calculate and compare tuberculosis (TB) rates in refugees against US-born and other foreign-born populations.
- To determine the contribution of refugees to the overall TB case burden in DeKalb County, Georgia.
Main Methods:
- Collected county TB case numbers and population data from 1995-1999.
- Estimated the refugee population and performed sensitivity analyses on these estimates.
- Compared TB rates and calculated the refugee TB case burden.
Main Results:
- Refugees had an average TB rate of 83.2 per 100,000, significantly higher than US-born persons (12.7 per 100,000).
- Refugees faced a seven-fold greater risk of TB than US-born individuals and a two-fold greater risk than other foreign-born persons.
- Refugees accounted for 7.6% of the county's TB cases and 19.3% of the foreign-born TB cases.
Conclusions:
- Despite pre-arrival screening, refugees present with high TB rates and substantially contribute to the local TB burden.
- Enhanced surveillance and targeted TB programs for refugees are critical public health priorities.