Tuberculosis in the West Midlands, 1990-1991

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) notifications ceased their decline in the late 1980s, with speculation linking this to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic.
• Higher TB notification rates are noted in individuals of Indian subcontinent origin compared to the indigenous white population.
• Changes in the demographics of the Indian subcontinent origin population subgroup may influence TB notification trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reasons behind the increase in tuberculosis notifications in the UK.
• To clarify the contribution of ethnic minorities to the occurrence of tuberculosis.
• To identify specific population subgroups requiring targeted attention for TB control.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted in the West Midlands region, an area with a 27% increase in TB notifications between 1987 and 1989.
• Analysis of notification rates based on age, sex, district of residence, and ethnic group.
• Comparison of TB notification rates across different demographic and geographic subgroups.

Main Results:

• TB notification rates exhibited significant variation across age, sex, district of residence, and ethnic group.
• The highest notification rates were identified in older females of Indian subcontinent origin.
• These demographic variations help explain the overall increase in the absolute number of TB notifications.

Conclusions:

• Ethnic background is a significant factor influencing tuberculosis occurrence and notification rates.
• Specific subgroups, such as older females of Indian subcontinent origin, warrant focused public health interventions for tuberculosis.
• Further data collection on ethnic group is recommended for effective tuberculosis surveillance and control strategies in the UK.