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Tuberculosis in British Columbia among immigrants from five Asian countries, 1982-85
Tubercle
|September 1, 1989
Summary
Immigrants from six Asian countries had a tuberculosis incidence over six times higher than the British Columbia rate. This group accounted for a quarter of active tuberculosis cases despite being only 3.7% of the population.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Immigration patterns can influence the epidemiology of infectious diseases within a host country.
- Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health concern, with varying incidence rates across different populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of immigration from six selected Asian countries on the incidence of tuberculosis in British Columbia.
- To analyze the clinical patterns and drug resistance of tuberculosis among immigrants from these Asian countries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of tuberculosis cases in British Columbia between 1982 and 1985.
- Comparison of tuberculosis incidence rates between immigrants from Japan, Korea, Philippines, India, China, and Hong Kong, and the overall British Columbia population.
- Analysis of clinical presentations and drug resistance patterns based on birthplace.
Main Results:
- Immigrants from the selected Asian countries exhibited an average annual incidence of bacillary tuberculosis more than six times the overall British Columbia rate.
- These immigrants constituted 25% of active bacillary tuberculosis cases in British Columbia, despite representing only 3.7% of the total population.
- A high proportion of lymphadenitis cases was observed among Asian immigrants, particularly from the Philippines, with significantly higher primary and secondary drug resistance compared to Canadian-born patients. Primary drug resistance was more frequent in patients under 40.
Conclusions:
- Immigration from specific Asian countries significantly increased the burden of tuberculosis in British Columbia during the study period.
- Clinical manifestations and drug resistance profiles of tuberculosis in immigrants differ from the native-born population, highlighting the need for targeted public health interventions.
- Age appears to be a factor in the frequency of primary drug resistance among immigrant TB patients.