TY - JOUR
T1 - Tuberculosis outbreaks predicted by characteristics of first patients in a DNA fingerprint cluster
AU - Kik, Sandra V.
AU - Verver, Suzanne
AU - van Soolingen, Dick
AU - de Haas, Petra E. W.
AU - Cobelens, Frank G.
AU - Kremer, Kristin
AU - van Deutekom, Henk
AU - Borgdorff, Martien W.
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - RATIONALE: Some clusters of patients who have Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates with identical DNA fingerprint patterns grow faster than others. It is unclear what predictors determine cluster growth. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the development of a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak can be predicted by the characteristics of its first two patients. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data of all culture-confirmed patients with TB in the Netherlands from 1993 through 2004 were combined with DNA fingerprint data. Clusters were restricted to cluster episodes of 2 years to only detect newly arising clusters. Characteristics of the first two patients were compared between small (2-4 cases) and large (5 or more cases) cluster episodes. Measurements and Main Results: Of 5,454 clustered cases, 1,756 (32%) were part of a cluster episode of 2 years. Of 622 cluster episodes, 54 (9%) were large and 568 (91%) were small episodes. Independent predictors for large cluster episodes were as follows: less than 3 months' time between the diagnosis of the first two patients, one or both patients were young ( <35 yr), both patients lived in an urban area, and both patients came from sub-Saharan Africa. CONCLUSIONS: In the Netherlands, patients in new cluster episodes should be screened for these risk factors. When the risk pattern applies, targeted interventions (e.g., intensified contact investigation) should be considered to prevent further cluster expansion
AB - RATIONALE: Some clusters of patients who have Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates with identical DNA fingerprint patterns grow faster than others. It is unclear what predictors determine cluster growth. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the development of a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak can be predicted by the characteristics of its first two patients. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data of all culture-confirmed patients with TB in the Netherlands from 1993 through 2004 were combined with DNA fingerprint data. Clusters were restricted to cluster episodes of 2 years to only detect newly arising clusters. Characteristics of the first two patients were compared between small (2-4 cases) and large (5 or more cases) cluster episodes. Measurements and Main Results: Of 5,454 clustered cases, 1,756 (32%) were part of a cluster episode of 2 years. Of 622 cluster episodes, 54 (9%) were large and 568 (91%) were small episodes. Independent predictors for large cluster episodes were as follows: less than 3 months' time between the diagnosis of the first two patients, one or both patients were young ( <35 yr), both patients lived in an urban area, and both patients came from sub-Saharan Africa. CONCLUSIONS: In the Netherlands, patients in new cluster episodes should be screened for these risk factors. When the risk pattern applies, targeted interventions (e.g., intensified contact investigation) should be considered to prevent further cluster expansion
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200708-1256OC
DO - https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200708-1256OC
M3 - Article
C2 - 18388352
SN - 1073-449X
VL - 178
SP - 96
EP - 104
JO - American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
JF - American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
IS - 1
ER -