American Journal of Infection Control
Volume 42, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 246-248

Lessons learned from earthquake-related tuberculosis exposures in a community shelter, Japan, 2011 (Conference Paper)

Kanamori H.* , Kimura R. , Weber D.J. , Uchiyama B. , Hirakata Y. , Aso N. , Kiryu K. , Kaku M.
  • a Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Miyagi Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Kurihara, Japan
  • b Miyagi Prefectural Government Kesennuma Public Health Center, Kesennuma, Japan
  • c Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
  • d Department of Respiratory Medicine, Miyagi Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Kurihara, Japan
  • e Department of Respiratory Medicine, Miyagi Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Kurihara, Japan
  • f Department of Respiratory Medicine, Miyagi Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Kurihara, Japan
  • g Miyagi Prefectural Government Kesennuma Public Health Center, Kesennuma, Japan
  • h Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan

Abstract

Background Refugees and displaced populations after natural disasters have been vulnerable to tuberculosis. We report an active pulmonary tuberculosis case at a shelter and the subsequent contact investigation and review lessons learned from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Methods The contact investigation was conducted to identify latent tuberculosis infection among a total of 95 contact persons, including 78 evacuees at the shelter, who were exposed to the index tuberculosis patient. The association between exposure time of contacts to a patient with active tuberculosis and results of interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) was also examined. Results IGRA was positive in 9 (12.3%) of 73 evacuees at the shelter. Contacts who were exposed to active tuberculosis for more than 25 days were significantly more likely to be IGRA positive, compared with contacts exposed for less than 20 days. All of the 4 evacuees with latent tuberculosis infection who initiated treatment completed the regimen successfully. Conclusion When a disaster strikes and many people are living in shelters, it is essential for health care personnel to first suspect tuberculosis and implement prevention and control in collaboration with referral hospitals and public health centers. Copyright © 2014 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Author Keywords

Contact investigation natural disaster Interferon-γ release assay

Index Keywords

Interferon-γ release assay human middle aged interferon gamma release assay Interferon-gamma Release Tests Aged natural disaster Young Adult school child earthquake Humans lung tuberculosis Earthquakes Adolescent Infant, Newborn Japan latent tuberculosis preschool child Aged, 80 and over male very elderly tuberculosis Infant Child, Preschool environmental exposure female Conference Paper Contact Tracing infection control Contact investigation infection prevention major clinical study tuberculin test adult disease association Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84896865895&doi=10.1016%2fj.ajic.2013.10.004&partnerID=40&md5=d20cc2d157f83fbb2048817f2249adb9
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2013.10.004
ISSN: 01966553
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English