Epidemiology and Infection
Volume 144, Issue 2, 2016, Pages 425-433

Tuberculosis in immigrants in Finland, 1995-2013 (Article)

Räisänen P.E. , Soini H. , Vasankari T. , Smit P.W. , Nuorti J.P. , Ollgren J. , Ruutu P. , Lyytikäinen O.*
  • a Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, 00271, Finland, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
  • b Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, 00271, Finland
  • c Finnish Lung Health Association (Filha), Helsinki, Finland
  • d Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, 00271, Finland, European Public Health Microbiology Training Programme (EUPHEM), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
  • e Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, 00271, Finland, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
  • f Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, 00271, Finland
  • g Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, 00271, Finland
  • h Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, 00271, Finland

Abstract

Increasing immigration from high tuberculosis (TB) incidence countries is a challenge for surveillance and control in Finland. Here, we describe the epidemiology of TB in immigrants by using national surveillance data. During 1995-2013, 7030 (84·7%) native and 1199 (14·4%) immigrant cases were identified. The proportion of immigrant cases increased from 5·8% in 1995 to 32·1% in 2013, consistent with increasing immigrant population (2·1-5·6%) and decreasing incidence of TB in the native population (from 12·1 to 3·5/100 000). TB cases in immigrants were significantly younger, more often female, and had extrapulmonary TB more often than native cases (P < 0·01 for all comparisons); multidrug resistance was also more common in immigrants than natives (P < 0·01). Immigrant cases were born in 82 different countries; most commonly in Somalia and the former Soviet Union/Russia. During 2008-2013, 433 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from immigrants were submitted for spoligotyping; 10 different clades were identified. Clades were similar to those found in the case's country of birth. Screening immigrants from high-incidence countries and raising awareness of common characteristics and symptoms of TB is important to ensure early diagnosis and to prevent transmission. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015.

Author Keywords

immigrants Spoligotyping Mycobacterium tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) Epidemiology MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY

Index Keywords

genetics extrapulmonary tuberculosis birth immigrant bacterial transmission Finland health promotion mass screening indigenous people clinical feature human bacterium identification middle aged controlled study multidrug resistant tuberculosis Mycobacterium tuberculosis Time Factors USSR Aged cladistics nonhuman epidemiological data disease surveillance Young Adult school child migrant population size lung tuberculosis Adolescent Humans Infant, Newborn male Emigrants and Immigrants preschool child Aged, 80 and over tuberculosis very elderly Infant Child, Preschool newborn female population research symptom Incidence Article major clinical study adult awareness Somalia tuberculosis control microbiology bacterium isolate early diagnosis Russian Federation time Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84949531994&doi=10.1017%2fS0950268815001508&partnerID=40&md5=4679ed62e9973793eeca0734a93e080d
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268815001508
ISSN: 09502688
Cited by: 7
Original Language: English