Immigrants Treated for Tuberculosis in Mazovian Centre of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Otwock

Abstract

Introduction: Migrationof population contributes to the transmission of tuberculosis (TB), particularly multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. In the countries of Western Europe, the immigrantsí inflow contributes to the deterioration of the epidemiological situation. Majority of newly detected TB cases in some countries were affirmed among immigrant and foreign born population. In Poland, this problem has not been investigated up to 2005. The aim of the study was the assessment of the occurrence of tuberculosis in immigrants treated in the Mazovian Centre for Treatment of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Otwock. Material and methods: This work had a retrospective character. The number of cases of tuberculosis in immigrants admitted between 2002 and 2007 was calculated from the data base of theMazovian Centre for Treatment of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis; 125 patients, whose basic demographic data, bacteriological status and the radiological changes suggested TB, were included in the study. Results: The foreigners made up to 0.5–1.7% all tuberculosis cases treated in Mazovian Centre for Treatment of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis. Among confirmed cases, twenty four nationalities were seen. Nationals of the Russian Federation (coming from the Republic of Chechnya) formed the biggest group (24%), followed by the Vietnamese (21%) and the Ukrainians (12%). Most of all cases were young men (77%; average age—34 years). Children made up to 12% of all cases. Tuberculosis of the lungs was predominating, and there were culture confirmed extrapulmonary locations in 13.6% of cases. Bacteriological confirmation was achieved in 53% of cases, but up to 22.7% cases were resistant to one of the antituberculosis medicines and 13.6% was multidrug-resistant. Conclusions: Despite the fact, that immigrants made up a small proportion among all the patient treated for tuberculosis in Mazovia, their number systematically increases. High proportion of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis reported in foreign-born cases is a concern.