title: Methodology for the assessment of burden of smear-positive pulmonary TB and its infectivity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study investigated the burden of smear-positive pulmonary TB and its infectivity using DALY (disability-adjusted life year) as an indicator.
  
  
  METHODS
  An assumed cohort of 2,000 cases was set up based on the age-specific incidence of 794 newly registered smear-positive cases in Beijing in 1994. Prognostic trees and model diagrams of infectivity under natural history and DOTS(directly observed treatment, short-course) strategy were established according to the epidemiological evidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that 29.6% of DALYs would be neglected if the burden caused by the infectivity was not considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DOTS strategy may reduce 97.3% of the number of potential cases infected, 92.9% of DALYs related to TB-patients themselves, and 99.9% of DALYs caused by TB's infectivity as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sicences, Beijing 100005, China.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zheng-Lai
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shui-Gao
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Li-Xing
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000191:economics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000635:transmission