Epidemiology and control of tuberculosis in Victoria, a low-burden state in south-eastern Australia, 2005-2010

Victoria, Australia.

To describe the epidemiology and control of tuberculosis (TB) in Victoria, 2005-2010.

Retrospective review of laboratory-confirmed TB in Victoria, 2005-2010. State TB reference laboratory records were matched with Department of Health notification records to obtain laboratory, demographic, clinical and treatment data.

The incidence of TB fell in the Australian-born population but increased overall, reflecting an increase in the proportion of overseas-born cases from 88.9% to 95.8% between 2005 and 2010 (P = 0.03). Patients from India and Viet Nam accounted for over one third of all cases. For overseas-born cases, the median time between arrival and diagnosis was 4 years. Half of all diagnoses were pulmonary disease, of which 45.4% were Ziehl-Neelsen smear-positive. Treatment was most commonly self-administered (76.9%), and very few patients defaulted or failed treatment (1.1%). Only 4.1% of cases were linked to another laboratory-confirmed case. Multidrug-resistant TB remained uncommon (1.7% of cases).

TB in Victoria remains low by global standards and continues to overwhelmingly affect the overseas-born population. Current TB control strategies in Victoria are effective, but strengthened control in high-burden countries will also improve TB control locally.