Tuberculosis in immigrants in Finland, 1995–2013

Tuberculosis in immigrants in Finland, 1995–2013

Increasing immigration from high tuberculosis (TB) incidence countries is a challenge for surveillance and control in Finland. Here, we describe the epidemiology of TB in immigrants by using national surveillance data. During 1995–2013, 7030 (84·7%) native and 1199 (14·4%) immigrant cases were ident...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Epidemiology and infection Vol. 144; no. 2; pp. 425 - 433
Main Authors: RÄISÄNEN, P. E., SOINI, H., VASANKARI, T., SMIT, P.W., NUORTI, J. P., OLLGREN, J., RUUTU, P., LYYTIKÄINEN, O.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-01-2016
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Child
Child, Preschool
Country of birth
Emigrants and Immigrants
Epidemiology
Female
Finland - epidemiology
Humans
Immigrants
Incidence
Infant, Newborn
Infectious diseases
Laboratories
Male
Middle Aged
Mycobacteria
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis - genetics
Original Papers
Time Factors
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis - epidemiology
Tuberculosis - microbiology
Young Adult
Finland
United States > US
Somalia
ANE, Finland
INW, Russia
molecular epidemiology
spoligotyping
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Epidemiology
tuberculosis (TB)
immigrants
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Summary:Increasing immigration from high tuberculosis (TB) incidence countries is a challenge for surveillance and control in Finland. Here, we describe the epidemiology of TB in immigrants by using national surveillance data. During 1995–2013, 7030 (84·7%) native and 1199 (14·4%) immigrant cases were identified. The proportion of immigrant cases increased from 5·8% in 1995 to 32·1% in 2013, consistent with increasing immigrant population (2·1–5·6%) and decreasing incidence of TB in the native population (from 12·1 to 3·5/100 000). TB cases in immigrants were significantly younger, more often female, and had extrapulmonary TB more often than native cases (P < 0·01 for all comparisons); multidrug resistance was also more common in immigrants than natives (P < 0·01). Immigrant cases were born in 82 different countries; most commonly in Somalia and the former Soviet Union/Russia. During 2008–2013, 433 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from immigrants were submitted for spoligotyping; 10 different clades were identified. Clades were similar to those found in the case's country of birth. Screening immigrants from high-incidence countries and raising awareness of common characteristics and symptoms of TB is important to ensure early diagnosis and to prevent transmission.
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ISSN:0950-2688
1469-4409
DOI:10.1017/S0950268815001508