title: Tuberculosis among foreign-born persons in Taiwan, 2002-2005.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The foreign-born population has been growing in Taiwan. Most foreign-born persons come from countries with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB). Monitoring the trend and characteristics of TB in this population is essential for TB control in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about foreign-born persons residing in Taiwan and data of all foreign-born TB cases notified during 2002-2005 were obtained from the national authorities and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2,444 foreign-born TB cases were notified during 2002-2005, which accounted for 3.6% of all notified TB cases during that period in Taiwan. The proportion of foreign-born TB cases was constant, without any significant yearly variation. The average annual TB notification rate in the foreign-born population was higher than that in the Taiwan-born population (94.0/100,000 vs. 72.0/100,000). There were significant differences in age, sex and regional distribution between foreign-born and Taiwan-born TB cases (p < 0.001). Foreign-born cases were predominantly female (65.4%) and aged 25-44 years (70.9%), whereas the majority of cases among the Taiwan-born population were male (69.4%) and aged > or = 65 years (49.6%). Most foreign-born TB patients (62.7%) lived in northern Taiwan but only about one-third (36.1%) of Taiwan-born TB cases were notified from that region. Among foreign-born TB cases whose original countries were recorded, the majority came from Mainland China and Vietnam, which accounted for 73.0% of all cases, followed by the Philippines (7.4%), Thailand (7.3%) and Indonesia (6.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foreign-born TB patients have different profiles and a higher case rate compared to Taiwan-born patients. Monitoring the epidemiologic trend of TB among foreign-born persons, especially those who come from high TB-burden countries, is essential in the fight against TB in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuan-Jen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Chen-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Chun-Nin
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jer-Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Li-Chun
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ming-Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018563:Disease Notification; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*