title: [Tuberculosis in the districts of Kamez and Vlore (Albania) in the early 2000s].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  evaluation of tuberculosis (TB) rates and treatment outcomes in two Albanian districts of similar population, but different disease diffusion: Kamez and Vlore.
  
  
  METHODS
  retrospective observational study of all the medical charts of not-HIV+ TB patients in Vlore from 2002 to 2011, and in Kamez from 2004 to 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  at Vlore the cases observed were 120 cases (mean age: 43 years, 68% males); the incidence rate was substantially stable in the study period, with 8 cases/100,000 inhabitants/year, and, overall, lower (p <0.001) than at Kamez. The TB cases founded were 160 (mean age: 45 years, 61% males) at Kamez, with decreasing incidence rate (Annual Percent Change - APC: -12%; p =0.00022), from 30-42/100,000 inhabitants/year in 2004- 2005 to 16.4/100,000 in 2011. New and retreated cases were, respectively, 96.7% and 3.3% at Vlore, and 96.25% and 3.75% at Kamez. Pulmonary TB was 75% at Vlore and 65% at Kamez. Most cases with pulmonary TB (79%) were microbiologically confirmed. Overall, successful treatments and relapses were respectively observed in 89% and 3% of cases with no drug resistance
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  in the first years of the third millennium, TB rates remain different between the two studied Albanian districts, but with a significant reduction in the area with greater baseline incidence (Kamez); overall disease control seems to be good.
authors.forename: Ylli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vakeflliu
authors.forename: Jul
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bushati
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zefi
authors.forename: Fatmir
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zenelaj
authors.forename: Arian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomaj
authors.forename: Fation
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shyle
authors.affiliation: Fisiopatologia e riabilitazione respiratoria, Azienda ospedaliera universitaria senese, Policlinico Le Scotte, Siena. a.melani@ao-siena.toscana.it.
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Melani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000415:Albania / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology