title: Epidemiology of tuberculosis in Galicia, Spain, 16 years after the launch of the Galician tuberculosis programme.
abstract: METHODS
  Galicia, Spain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe changes in tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology and characteristics in Galicia, Spain, during the period 1996-2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational descriptive study of data obtained from the Tuberculosis Information System. The Galician Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Programme, created in 1994, is based in seven tuberculosis units that actively collect data on case finding and follow-up of all cases of TB in the region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TB incidence fell from 72.9 cases per 100,000 population in 1996 to 24.6 in 2011 (respectively 40.5 and 14.2 in patients aged <15 years). In 2011, 49.8% (n = 343) of patients were aged between 25-54 years; 62.3% (n = 429) were male; 52.1% (n = 359) had pulmonary TB (PTB) alone, of whom 33.5% (n = 144) had cavitary lesions; 50.7% (n = 218 PTB cases) were sputum smear-positive and 80.5% (346 PTB cases) were culture-positive. The median diagnostic delay was 56 days; 4.6% (n = 32) were human immunodeficiency virus positive and 5.2% (n = 36) were immigrants. The treatment success rate was close to 90%. Contacts of 86.7% of the smear-positive index cases were evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TB incidence in Galicia is progressively decreasing; however, it is still higher than that of neighbouring regions. A long diagnostic delay was observed, which may have contributed to the high incidence rate in children.
authors.affiliation: Galician Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Programme, Dirección General de Innovación y Gestión de la Salud Pública, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostella, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cruz-Ferro
authors.affiliation: Galician Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Programme, Dirección General de Innovación y Gestión de la Salud Pública, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostella, Spain.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ursúa-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Galician Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Programme, Dirección General de Innovación y Gestión de la Salud Pública, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostella, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Taboada-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Galician Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Programme, Dirección General de Innovación y Gestión de la Salud Pública, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostella, Spain.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hervada-Vidal
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Complexo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anibarro
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Unit, Department of Preventive Medicine, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Túñez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection; D016358:Contact Tracing; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents