title: Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Mycobacterial Diseases in the Barletta-Andria-Trani Province, Italy (2005-2013).
abstract: Tuberculosis remains one of the major worldwide problems regarding public health. This study evaluates the burden of this disease in the BAT Province of the Apulia region (Italy); 12,295 patients were studied, including 310 immigrants. Tubercular disease and mycobacteriosis were found in 129 patients. The number of new TB cases/year ranged from three in 2005 to 12 in 2009. TB was more frequently localized in the lung (70.5%). 14.4% of cases were institutionalized patients for severe neurological and/or psychiatric disease. The database evidenced certain aspects of our study population: the large number of TB patients institutionalized between natives, but no larger presence of TB among HIV-positive patients in immigrants compared to Italians. Our findings should help to redefine the alarm regarding the spread of an epidemical form of TB but also to present certain criticisms regarding patient management (especially immigrants) regarding costs, hospitalization, and difficulty of reinstating the patient in the community. Further our data underscore the importance of prevalence of TB in bedridden, institutionalized patients.
authors.affiliation: Operative Unit of Infectious Diseases, Vittorio Emanuele II Hospital, 76011 Bisceglie, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brindicci
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Hospital-University Polyclinic, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmen Rita
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Hospital-University Polyclinic, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trillo
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Hospital-University Polyclinic, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Hospital-University Polyclinic, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loconsole
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Hospital-University Polyclinic, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monno
authors.affiliation: Operative Unit of Infectious Diseases, Vittorio Emanuele II Hospital, 76011 Bisceglie, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fontana
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents