Objective: Global tuberculosis (TB) elimination requires recognition and management of TB/HIV co-infected individuals, including those in marginalized and/or understudied populations. We sought to examine the prevalence of TB among repatriated sex trafficked Nepalese girls and women in whom a high HIV prevalence was previously reported. Methods: We reviewed case records for cases of TB among 287 sex trafficked girls and women repatriated to a single, rehabilitation non-governmental organization in Kathmandu, Nepal between 1997 and 2005. TB case detection was based on sputum smear results for acid-fast bacilli, radiographs, or histories, as reported in medical tests and/or case records. Results: There were 17 cases of TB that developed after rescue within the sample of girls and women who were aged 7-32 years when they were trafficked. The majority of cases (70%) were likely pulmonary TB. Nearly 9 in 10 individuals who developed TB were HIV co-infected. Conclusions: Although preliminary in nature, our findings highlight the need for more comprehensive exploration of TB prevalence within sex trafficked populations, particularly in light of the large numbers of individuals who are sex trafficked in South Asia, the high prevalence of HIV documented in this group, and the risk of transmission of TB from and to others. © 2009 International Society for Infectious Diseases.

sex trafficking Women's health tuberculosis human rights HIV TB transmission

medical record review Short Survey HIV Infections sputum smear Human immunodeficiency virus infection human comorbidity AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections Mycobacterium tuberculosis rehabilitation center Human immunodeficiency virus prevalence human rights abuse sex trafficking Young Adult South Asia Humans Sputum lung tuberculosis Adolescent acid fast bacterium female Tuberculosis, Pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence sexual abuse women's health disease transmission adult infection risk HIV-1 thorax radiography age distribution Sex Offenses Nepal case finding mixed infection Child