Assessment of active tuberculosis findings in the eastern area of China: A 3-year sequential screening study

Tuberculosis (TB) is a critical global public threat, and limited epidemiology studies have been performed to explore the efficacy of active TB screening.

Three sites located in eastern China were chosen in 2013, and three rounds of systematic screenings were performed in permanent residents aged older than 15 years.

The TB incidence showed a downtrend after several rounds of active screening at the three sites, and a significant change was observed at site A in the overall population. In the target population at sites A and B, both the elderly and people with a history of TB had a remarkable decline through the first or second round of screening. The implementation of active case-finding identified 2.36 [1.47,3.81] (2013 vs. 2012) and 1.49 [1.1,2.03] (2013-2015 vs. 2010-2012) more potential cases than the passive case-finding by the surveillance system at site A.

Active case-finding of tuberculosis might be effective in high prevalence area with a low economic level, particularly among the elderly and people with a history of TB. Additionally, new rapid diagnosis technology should be considered to decrease the prevalence among people with a history of TB. Ultimately, active screening identified more active TB cases than passive case-finding, particularly in high prevalence area with underdeveloped economics.