Tuberculosis among foreign-born children in the State of Florida, 1993--1999: a re-emergence phase after a sustained decline?
OBJECTIVE
To determine the temporal trend of tuberculosis disease among foreign-born children in the State of Florida.


METHODS
Descriptive population-based study on data obtained from the Tuberculosis Control and Surveillance Program in the State of Florida. We employed Poisson assumption to derive estimates for rates of tuberculosis among US-born and foreign-born children in the studied population. We also applied linear and nonlinear regression equations to describe the best trajectories for observed temporal trends in incidence cases of the disease.


METHODS
All cases of tuberculosis disease among children notified in the State of Florida between 1993 and 1999 inclusive.


RESULTS
The incidence rate of TB over the study period was five times higher among foreign-born children (11.3 per 105; CI = 8.0-14.6 per 105) as compared to US-born (1.7 per 105; CI = 0.8-4.2 per 105). Whereas, new cases of TB among US-born children have continuously and significantly dropped throughout the period of study, our data indicated that the decline achieved from 1993 to 1996 among foreign-born children has ceased, and a resurgence of tuberculosis in this population was apparent.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data tend to suggest a re-emergence of tuberculosis among foreign-born children in the State of Florida as from 1997 after several years of decline. There is a need for a more in-depth investigation to elucidate and address causes responsible for the resurgence if the current battle to eliminate tuberculosis from the State is to succeed.
Salihu
Hamisu M
HM
Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA. hsalihu@uab.edu
Spittle
Robyn
R
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
D000995:Antitubercular Agents