Al Hosani Farida I, Yahia Ghada A
Communicable Diseases Department, Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2013 Mar;3(1):23-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jegh.2012.12.003. Epub 2013 Feb 1.
All applicants for work and/or residence in Abu Dhabi are screened for tuberculosis at the time of issuing or renewing their residence visa. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of TB among visa applicants and the likelihood of testing positive among different subgroups.
Data from the electronic visa screening system was used for a total of 948,504 applicants screened for residence in Abu Dhabi from January to December 2010.
The screening identified 4577 suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB); 1558 people with chest X-ray findings suggestive of prior PTB; 235 smear-positives; and 132 culture-positive cases. The prevalence of active PTB was 39/100,000, with new applicants significantly more likely to test positive compared with renewals (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.5-2.7, P<.001). People coming from African countries had the highest prevalence of TB compared with people from other regions (OR: 21.25, 95% CI: 6.72-67.17, P<.001).
The number of active PTB cases among applicants for visa screening is still of a real concern. Without a rigorous screening system, the disease can spread to the community and hit other people. Certain subgroups were more likely to have the disease; this could provide the scientific foundation for future amendments in the screening requirements.
所有申请在阿布扎比工作和/或居住的人员在获得或续签居住签证时都要接受结核病筛查。本研究的目的是评估签证申请人中结核病的患病率以及不同亚组中检测呈阳性的可能性。
使用电子签证筛查系统的数据，对2010年1月至12月期间在阿布扎比申请居住的948,504名申请人进行了研究。
筛查发现4577例疑似肺结核（PTB）病例；1558人胸部X光检查结果提示既往患过PTB；235例涂片阳性；132例培养阳性。活动性PTB的患病率为39/100,000，新申请人检测呈阳性的可能性明显高于续签申请人（比值比：2.05，95%置信区间：1.5 - 2.7，P <.001）。与其他地区的人相比，来自非洲国家的人结核病患病率最高（比值比：21.25，95%置信区间：6.72 - 67.17，P <.001）。
签证筛查申请人中活动性PTB病例的数量仍然令人担忧。如果没有严格的筛查系统，这种疾病可能会传播到社区并感染其他人。某些亚组更易患该病；这可为未来筛查要求的修订提供科学依据。
