[Study of tuberculosis outbreaks reported in Catalonia, 1998-2002].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the characteristics of tuberculosis outbreaks declared under vigilance programs in Catalonia.


METHODS
Descriptive study of outbreaks from 1998 through 2002 for which reports were available. An outbreak was defined as 3 or more associated cases appearing within a year. For 2 health care regions, outbreaks for which there were full surveillance reports with contact tracing were compared to outbreaks identified but which had not been fully reported.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven outbreaks were analyzed. Nineteen (70%) occurred within families. A total of 22 outbreaks were declared upon identification of the true index case and 5 upon detection of secondary cases. The mean annual incidence of outbreaks was 0.40/100,100 inhabitants. Most cases were in males 16 to 40 years of age and involved cavitary lesions and a clinically significant diagnostic delay. Twenty-seven outbreaks caused 69 secondary cases. A longer diagnostic delay was seen to correspond to a larger number of secondary cases (P=.08). In the 2 health care regions analyzed, full surveillance reports with contact tracing were issued for 2 of the 14 outbreaks detected (14.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
Tuberculosis outbreaks are common but investigative follow-up is scarce. The size of the outbreak is related to the length of diagnostic delay. Rapid diagnosis, contact tracing, and the issuance of a public health report should be priorities in all outbreaks detected.
Bran
Carlos M
CM
Departamento de Pediatría, Obstetricia y Ginecología, y Medicina Preventiva, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, España.
Caylá
Joan A
JA
Domínguez
Angela
A
Camps
Neus
N
Godoy
Pere
P
Orcau
Angels
A
Barrabeig
Irene
I
Alcaide
José
J
Altet
Neus
N
Alvarez
Pep
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology*