Tuberculosis among dislocated North Koreans entering Republic of Korea since 1999.
The collapse of North Korea's public health system has increased the development of tuberculosis (TB) in its populace. This study investigated the prevalence of active and latent TB infection (LTBI) in such people who have settled in the Republic of Korea since 1999. From 1999 to August 2006, 7,722 dislocated North Koreans entered the Republic of Korea and all were screened immediately for active TB. Demographic and clinical characteristics were reviewed from the official records of the Settlement Support Office for Dislocated North Koreans, based in the Ministry of Unification. Of 7,722 participants, 87 (1.13%) were diagnosed with active TB from 1999 to August 2006. Of these, 78 (90%) had pulmonary TB. Checking for the presence of a Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) scar and tuberculin skin test has been performed in all dislocated North Koreans since November 2005. Of 1,112 participants, BCG vaccination scars were found in 67.4%. The tuberculin-positive rate using two tuberculin unit doses of the purified protein derivative RT23 (> or =10mm in diameter) was 81.5%. The prevalence of active TB and LTBI in dislocated North Koreans was high. Because this group bears a disproportionate burden of TB, we need to initiate a specific control programme and to plan for the impact of this disease in the Republic of Korea.
Choi
Chang Min
CM
Department of Internal Medicine, Armed Forces Capital Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
June
Jung Hee
JH
Kang
Cheol In
CI
Park
Jung Tak
JT
Oh
Soo Yon
SY
Lee
Jin Beom
JB
Lee
Chang Hoon
CH
Yim
Jae Joon
JJ
Kim
Hee Jin
HJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014611:Vaccination
D001500:BCG Vaccine