Methodology for the assessment of burden of smear-positive pulmonary TB and its infectivity.
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.
Xu
Qun
Q
Department of Epidemiology, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sicences, Beijing 100005, China.
Wu
Zheng-Lai
ZL
Liu
Xiao-Lin
XL
Jin
Shui-Gao
SG
Zhang
Li-Xing
LX
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