The Epidemiology of tuberculosis in the Australia Capital Territory, 2006-2015

Authors

  • Belinda Jones ACT Health, Canberra ACT
  • Vanessa Johnston Population Health Protection and Prevention, ACT Health, Canberra ACT
  • Ranil Appuhamy Population Health Protection and Prevention, ACT Health, Canberra ACT
  • Marlena Kaczmarek Population Health Protection and Prevention, ACT Health, Canberra ACT
  • Mark Hurwitz Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, ACT Health, Canberra ACT

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2017.41.33

Keywords:

tuberculosis, epidemiology, surveillance, ACT

Abstract

Aim
To review the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) over a 10 year period. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the ACT TB notification data from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2015 was conducted.
Results
Over the 10 year study period there were 171 TB notifications in the ACT, with an increasing trend in the number of notifications over time. The median age of cases was 36 years (range 14 to 91 years) and 53.8% of cases were male. Most TB cases (84.2%) were born overseas. Among Australian-born cases the most common risk factor for acquiring TB was close/household contact with a known case of TB (30.8%). The most common risk factor in the overseas-born population was past travel or residence in a high-risk country (86.9%). Of all the TB cases notified, 82.4% successfully completed treatment.
Conclusion
There was an increasing trend in the number of TB notifications in the ACT over the study period. The highest rate of TB notifications remained in the overseas-born population; with other studies suggesting this is commonly due to reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). As Australia starts working towards TB elimination, options for the screening and management of LTBI, especially in high risk populations, need to be explored.

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Published

01/09/17

How to Cite

Jones, Belinda, Vanessa Johnston, Ranil Appuhamy, Marlena Kaczmarek, and Mark Hurwitz. 2017. “The Epidemiology of Tuberculosis in the Australia Capital Territory, 2006-2015”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 41 (September):231-40. https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2017.41.33.

Issue

Vol. 41 (2017)

Section

Original article

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