[An epidemiological study of registered cases positive for atypical mycobacteria in the tuberculosis surveillance system].
OBJECTIVE
To carry out a population-based descriptive epidemiological study of registered cases positive for atypical mycobacteria and regarded as tuberculosis at five health centers in east, central, and west areas of Kochi Prefecture.


METHODS
The subjects were 151 cases positive for atypical mycobacteria and regarded as tuberculosis, that had been registered to the five health centers in twelve years between 1990 and 2001. They were selected from the master-files of the tuberculosis surveillance system of the five health centers and analyzed with reference to epidemiological factors input into the some master-files.


RESULTS
(1) The mean and the standard variation for age at the registration of the subjects were 68.00 and 11.59 years, respectively, and the male to female sex ratio was 1.60. (2) There was no significant variation among the "rates of registered cases positive for atypical mycobacteria in tuberculosis cases" in the three areas. The mean rate was 13.6 percent in the six years between 1996 and 2001. (3) The affected pulmonary lesions for the cases that had been detected on mass-screening by chest X-ray were smaller in those diagnosed in medical facilities. (4) There was statistically significant variation in the periods of treatment in the three areas, shortest in central, and as well as the periods of the tuberculosis registration.


CONCLUSIONS
(1) With the aging of Japanese population, the incidence of registered cases positive for atypical mycobacteria and mycobacteriosis cases will increase at admission facilities for aged people in the future. (2) It is recommended that periodic mass-screening by chest X-ray be carried out at facilities in order to diagnose tuberculosis and mycobacteriosis at an early stage. (3) It is necessary to discuss treatment strategies for registered cases positive for atypical mycobacteria in order to increase the efficacy.
Tobu Health Center, Kochi.
Junichiro
J
Suzuki
Ryusaku
R
Kataoka
Shoji
S
Sugimoto
Shinsuke
S
Morio
D000368:Aged; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology*