Active Tuberculosis Case Finding in Haiti.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
In 2010, Haiti suffered from a devastating earthquake; data on the impact on the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic are limited. From January to June 2013, we conducted active case finding at the household level in a slum in Port-au-Prince. Community health workers identified individuals with cough ≥ 2 weeks, and referred them for evaluation. Contact tracing was conducted for patients with active TB. Of an estimated 7,500 residents screened, 394 (5%) had cough and were tested for TB. One hundred (25%) were diagnosed with active TB; 53 (53%) were smear positive. Ninety of these TB index cases provided 317 contacts, and 44 (14%) were diagnosed with active TB; 17 (39%) were smear positive. Overall, 144 TB cases were detected in 6 months (1,920/100,000; national estimate 200/100,000). We found a high burden of undiagnosed TB in Port-au-Prince 3 years after the earthquake. Further assessment of the burden of TB is indicated.
