Lori R. Armstrong

Epidemiology of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in the United States, 1993–2006

BACKGROUND Almost one-fifth of United States tuberculosis cases are extrapulmonary; unexplained slower annual case count decreases have occurred in extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB), compared with annual case count decreases in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases. We describe the epidemiology of EPTB by means of US national tuberculosis surveillance data. METHODS US tuberculosis cases reported from 1993 to 2006 were classified as either EPTB or PTB. EPTB encompassed lymphatic, pleural, bone and/or joint, genitourinary, meningeal, peritoneal, and unclassified EPTB cases. We excluded cases with concurrent extrapulmonary-pulmonary tuberculosis and cases of disseminated (miliary) tuberculosis. Demographic characteristics, drug susceptibility test results, and risk factors, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, were compared for EPTB and PTB cases. RESULTS Among 253,299 cases, 73.6% were PTB and 18.7% were EPTB, including lymphatic (40.4%), pleural (19.8%), bone and/or joint (11.3%), genitourinary (6.5%), meningeal (5.4%), peritoneal (4.9%), and unclassified EPTB (11.8%) cases. Compared with PTB, EPTB was associated with female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-1.8) and foreign birth (OR, 1.5; CI, 1.5-1.6), almost equally associated with HIV status (OR, 1.1; CI, 1.1-1.1), and negatively associated with multidrug resistance (OR, 0.6; CI, 0.5-0.6) and several tuberculosis risk factors, especially homelessness (OR, 0.3; CI, 0.3-0.3) and excess alcohol use (OR, 0.3; CI, 0.3-0.3). Slower annual decreases in EPTB case counts, compared with annual decreases in PTB case counts, from 1993 through 2006 have caused EPTB to increase from 15.7% of tuberculosis cases in 1993 to 21.0% in 2006. CONCLUSIONS EPTB epidemiology and risk factors differ from those of PTB, and the proportion of EPTB has increased from 1993 through 2006. Further study is needed to identify causes of the proportional increase in EPTB.

Incidence and Prevalence of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis among Children in Atlanta and Seattle

The incidence and prevalence of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) for children aged <18 years were estimated in 2 US cities, Atlanta and Seattle, in 1996. All otolaryngologists in a 24-county area in metropolitan Atlanta (101 physicians) and an 8-county area in metropolitan Seattle (139 physicians) agreed to participate in the study. Medical record chart abstraction was performed only for children with documented current residence in the study area (21 patients in Atlanta and 14 patients in Seattle). The incidence rate for juvenile RRP was 1.11/100,000 population in Atlanta and 0.36/100, 000 in Seattle. The prevalence rate was 2.59/100,000 population in Atlanta and 1.69/100,000 in Seattle. In neither city did prevalences differ significantly when stratified by sex or race. Extrapolation of these estimates to the US population suggests that 80-1500 incident cases and 700-3000 prevalent cases of juvenile RRP will occur in the United States during 1999.

Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in the United States, 1993-2007

CONTEXT Worldwide emergence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has raised global public health concern, given the limited therapy options and high mortality. OBJECTIVES To describe the epidemiology of XDR-TB in the United States and to identify unique characteristics of XDR-TB cases compared with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and drug-susceptible TB cases. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Descriptive analysis of US TB cases reported from 1993 to 2007. Extensively drug-resistant TB was defined as resistance to isoniazid, a rifamycin, a fluoroquinolone, and at least 1 of amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin based on drug susceptibility test results from initial and follow-up specimens. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Extensively drug-resistant TB case counts and trends, risk factors for XDR-TB, and overall survival. RESULTS A total of 83 cases of XDR-TB were reported in the United States from 1993 to 2007. The number of XDR-TB cases declined from 18 (0.07% of 25 107 TB cases) in 1993 to 2 (0.02% of 13 293 TB cases) in 2007, reported to date. Among those with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test results, 31 (53%) were HIV-positive. Compared with MDR-TB cases, XDR-TB cases were more likely to have disseminated TB disease (prevalence ratio [PR], 2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-3.58), less likely to convert to a negative sputum culture (PR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.33-0.94), and had a prolonged infectious period (median time to culture conversion, 183 days vs 93 days for MDR-TB; P < .001). Twenty-six XDR-TB cases (35%) died during treatment, of whom 21 (81%) were known to be HIV-infected. Mortality was higher among XDR-TB cases than among MDR-TB cases (PR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.10-3.02) and drug-susceptible TB cases (PR, 6.10; 95% CI, 3.65-10.20). CONCLUSION Although the number of US XDR-TB cases has declined since 1993, coinciding with improved TB and HIV/AIDS control, cases continue to be reported each year.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Florida: Association with the newly identified Black Creek Canal virus

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a recently recognized viral zoonosis. The first recognized cases were caused by a newly described hantavirus. Sin Nombre virus (previously known as Muerto Canyon virus), isolated from Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse). We describe a 33-year-old Floridian man who resided outside the ecologic range of P maniculatus but was found to have serologic evidence of a hantavirus infection during evaluation of azotemia associated with adult respiratory distress syndrome. Small mammal trapping conducted around this patients residence demonstrated the presence of antihantaviral antibodies in 13% of Sigmodon hispidus [cotton rat). Serologic testing using antigen derived from the Black Creek Canal hantavirus subsequently isolated from this rodent established that this patient was acutely infected with this new pathogenic American hantavirus. HPS is not confined to the geographical distribution of P maniculatus and should be suspected in individuals with febrile respiratory syndromes, perhaps associated with azotemia, throughout the continental United States.

Treatment practices, outcomes, and costs of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, United States, 2005-2007.

Drug resistance was extensive and care was complex; nevertheless, high rates of treatment completion were achieved albeit at considerable cost.

Hantavirus and Arenavirus Antibodies in Persons with Occupational Rodent Exposure, North America

Risk for infection was low among those who handled neotomine or sigmodontine rodents on the job.

Tuberculosis in Older Adults in the United States, 1993–2008

OBJECTIVES: To describe older adults with tuberculosis (TB) and compare demographic, diagnostic, and disease characteristics and treatment outcomes between older and younger adults with TB.

Isoniazid-Monoresistant Tuberculosis in the United States, 1993 to 2003

BACKGROUND Seven percent of tuberculosis (TB) cases reported to the US National Tuberculosis Surveillance System in 2005 had Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates with resistance to at least isoniazid. METHODS We undertook this study to describe demographic characteristics, risk factor information, and treatment outcomes for persons with isoniazid-monoresistant (resistant to isoniazid and susceptible to rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol hydrochloride) TB compared with persons with TB susceptible to all first-line anti-TB drugs. RESULTS The numbers of isoniazid-monoresistant TB cases increased from 303 (4.1%) in 1993 to 351 (4.2%) in 2005. In our multivariate analysis of all TB cases reported from 1993 to 2003, the races/ethnicities of patients with isoniazid-monoresistant TB were significantly more likely to be US-born Asian/Pacific Islander (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-2.6), foreign-born Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8; 1.4-2.1), foreign-born black non-Hispanic (1.4; 1.1-1.7), or US-born Hispanic (1.3; 1.1-1.5). Isoniazid monoresistance was also associated with failure to complete therapy within 1 year (aOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.5-1.8), a history of TB (1.5; 1.3-1.7), and correctional facility residence (1.5; 1.2-1.7). CONCLUSIONS Isoniazid-monoresistant TB did not decline from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 2005, despite national downward trends observed in overall TB cases and in multidrug-resistant TB cases. Physicians must ensure completion of treatment for patients taking isoniazid as part of their TB or latent TB infection therapy. In addition, physicians should maintain heightened vigilance for isoniazid resistance when evaluating certain at-risk populations for TB and latent TB infection.

Colorectal carcinoma mortality among Appalachian men and women, 1969–1999†‡

Colorectal carcinoma screening can reduce mortality, but residents of poor or medically underserved areas may face barriers to screening. The current study assessed colorectal carcinoma mortality in Appalachia, a historically underserved area, from 1969 to 1999.

Management of a sabià virus-infected patient in a US hospital

OBJECTIVE To describe the hospital precautions used to isolate a Sabiá virus (arenavirus: Arenaviridae)-infected patient in a US hospital and to protect hospital staff and visitors. DESIGN Investigation of a single case of arenavirus laboratory-acquired infection and associated case-contacts. SETTING A 900-bed, tertiary-care, university-affiliated medical center. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS The case-patient became ill with Sabiá virus infection. The case-contacts consisted of healthcare workers, coworkers, friends, and relatives of the case-patient. INTERVENTION Enhanced isolation precautions for treatment of a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) patient were implemented in the clinical laboratory and patient-care setting to prevent nosocomial transmission. The enhanced precautions included preventing aerosol spread of the virus from the patient or his clinical specimens. All case-contacts were tested for Sabiá virus antibodies and monitored for signs and symptoms of early disease. RESULTS No cases of secondary infection occurred among 142 case-contacts. CONCLUSIONS With the frequency of worldwide travel, patients with VHF can be admitted to a local hospital at any time in the United States. The use of enhanced isolation precautions for VHF appeared to be effective in preventing secondary cases by limiting the number of contacts and promoting proper handling of laboratory specimens. Patients with VHF can be managed safely in a local hospital setting, provided that appropriate precautions are planned and implemented.