Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, China
Abstract Background Despite significant advancements in the treatment and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) over the past decade, drug-resistant TB remains an increasing threat to public health. TB outbreaks are most commonly reported in schools considering the delay in TB diagnosis, sustained contact,...
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doaj-f52c0fa1e13747ae837731d0ca2f260b2020-11-25T03:18:09ZengBMCInfectious Diseases of Poverty2049-99572020-05-01911710.1186/s40249-020-00670-xMultidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, ChinaYu Zhang0Lin Zhou1Zheng-Wei Liu2Cheng-Liang Chai3Xiao-Meng Wang4Jian-Min Jiang5Song-Hua Chen6Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and ControlKey lab of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang ProvinceZhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and ControlZhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and ControlZhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and ControlKey lab of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang ProvinceZhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and ControlAbstract Background Despite significant advancements in the treatment and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) over the past decade, drug-resistant TB remains an increasing threat to public health. TB outbreaks are most commonly reported in schools considering the delay in TB diagnosis, sustained contact, and overcrowding observed in schools. This report describes multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) transmission in a school in Zhejiang Province. We aimed to raise awareness regarding MDR-TB transmission among students. Case presentation The index patient was a 16-year-old girl in the second year of junior middle school in Zhejiang Province, China, who had been experiencing persistent cough and expectoration for 37 days since 1 March 2014. She tested positive for smear pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB on 8 April 2014 and was subsequently diagnosed with MDR-TB on 1 May 2014. However, the patient was resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and streptomycin. Thus, she was suspended from school for anti-TB treatment. All 54 students who were in close contact with the index patient in the same class were screened, and 5 tested positive on the tuberculin skin test. Their exposure time to the index patient was approximately 37 days. Three classmates were subsequently diagnosed with MDR-TB, with similar resistance profiles nearly two years later. Their average discovery delay was 55 days. These three classmates were also suspended from school for anti-TB treatment. During the treatment period, four students visited the local TB-designated hospital for further consultation every month and were followed up once a month by the local community health service center until they were completely cured. Conclusions Discovery delay for an index patient played a primary role in MDR-TB transmission inside the school. To immediately detect TB, morning examinations in schools should be performed. TB trackers and case managers should work closely with public health workers and physicians in cases of TB outbreaks or transmissions involving students. Moreover, individuals who are in close contact with MDR-TB patients should undergo careful clinical follow-up for at least two years. Implementing a joint examination strategy to ensure early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of MDR-TB transmission is recommended.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40249-020-00670-xMultidrug-resistant tuberculosisTransmissionSchool |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Yu Zhang Lin Zhou Zheng-Wei Liu Cheng-Liang Chai Xiao-Meng Wang Jian-Min Jiang Song-Hua Chen |
spellingShingle |
Yu Zhang Lin Zhou Zheng-Wei Liu Cheng-Liang Chai Xiao-Meng Wang Jian-Min Jiang Song-Hua Chen Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, China Infectious Diseases of Poverty Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis Transmission School |
author_facet |
Yu Zhang Lin Zhou Zheng-Wei Liu Cheng-Liang Chai Xiao-Meng Wang Jian-Min Jiang Song-Hua Chen |
author_sort |
Yu Zhang |
title |
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, China |
title_short |
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, China |
title_full |
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, China |
title_fullStr |
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, China |
title_full_unstemmed |
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, China |
title_sort |
multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in zhejiang province, china |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Infectious Diseases of Poverty |
issn |
2049-9957 |
publishDate |
2020-05-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Despite significant advancements in the treatment and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) over the past decade, drug-resistant TB remains an increasing threat to public health. TB outbreaks are most commonly reported in schools considering the delay in TB diagnosis, sustained contact, and overcrowding observed in schools. This report describes multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) transmission in a school in Zhejiang Province. We aimed to raise awareness regarding MDR-TB transmission among students. Case presentation The index patient was a 16-year-old girl in the second year of junior middle school in Zhejiang Province, China, who had been experiencing persistent cough and expectoration for 37 days since 1 March 2014. She tested positive for smear pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB on 8 April 2014 and was subsequently diagnosed with MDR-TB on 1 May 2014. However, the patient was resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and streptomycin. Thus, she was suspended from school for anti-TB treatment. All 54 students who were in close contact with the index patient in the same class were screened, and 5 tested positive on the tuberculin skin test. Their exposure time to the index patient was approximately 37 days. Three classmates were subsequently diagnosed with MDR-TB, with similar resistance profiles nearly two years later. Their average discovery delay was 55 days. These three classmates were also suspended from school for anti-TB treatment. During the treatment period, four students visited the local TB-designated hospital for further consultation every month and were followed up once a month by the local community health service center until they were completely cured. Conclusions Discovery delay for an index patient played a primary role in MDR-TB transmission inside the school. To immediately detect TB, morning examinations in schools should be performed. TB trackers and case managers should work closely with public health workers and physicians in cases of TB outbreaks or transmissions involving students. Moreover, individuals who are in close contact with MDR-TB patients should undergo careful clinical follow-up for at least two years. Implementing a joint examination strategy to ensure early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of MDR-TB transmission is recommended. |
topic |
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis Transmission School |
url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40249-020-00670-x |
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