Tuberculosis-Related Hospitalizations in a Low-Incidence Country: A Retrospective Analysis in Two Italian Infectious...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Global tuberculosis (TB) incidence is decreasing, but rising in non-native populations in low-incidence countries.
• Extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) shows an increasing trend in Western regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the clinical characteristics of tuberculosis admissions in Italy between 2013 and 2017.
• To investigate the demographic and clinical differences between native and foreign TB patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study conducted in two Italian infectious diseases wards.
• Inclusion of 166 patients diagnosed with TB between 2013 and 2017.
• Analysis of patient demographics, origin, comorbidities, and TB presentation (pulmonary vs. extrapulmonary).

Main Results:

• A significant increase in TB admissions was observed during the study period.
• Approximately 70% of TB patients were foreign-born, predominantly from Africa, Europe, and South America.
• Italian patients were older, more immunocompromised, and had more comorbidities compared to foreign patients.
• EPTB constituted 37% of all TB cases, with higher incidence in patients from Africa (39.3%) compared to Europe (20%).
• Being European was found to be protective against developing EPTB (OR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.6).

Conclusions:

• The study documented a rise in TB diagnoses in Italian centers from 2013-2017.
• A significant proportion of EPTB cases (39%) were diagnosed in non-European immigrants.
• Findings underscore the changing epidemiology of TB in low-incidence countries, with a notable burden of EPTB among foreign populations.