Epidemiology of tuberculosis in Galicia, Spain, 16 years after the launch of the Galician tuberculosis programme

SETTING: Galicia, Spain.

OBJECTIVE: To describe changes in tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology and characteristics in Galicia, Spain, during the period 1996–2011.

DESIGN: Retrospective observational descriptive study of data obtained from the Tuberculosis Information System. The Galician Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Programme, created in 1994, is based in seven tuberculosis units that actively collect data on case finding and follow-up of all cases of TB in the region.

RESULTS: TB incidence fell from 72.9 cases per 100 000 population in 1996 to 24.6 in 2011 (respectively 40.5 and 14.2 in patients aged <15 years). In 2011, 49.8% (n = 343) of patients were aged between 25–54 years; 62.3% (n = 429) were male; 52.1% (n = 359) had pulmonary TB (PTB) alone, of whom 33.5% (n = 144) had cavitary lesions; 50.7% (n = 218 PTB cases) were sputum smear-positive and 80.5% (346 PTB cases) were culture-positive. The median diagnostic delay was 56 days; 4.6% (n = 32) were human immunodeficiency virus positive and 5.2% (n = 36) were immigrants. The treatment success rate was close to 90%. Contacts of 86.7% of the smear-positive index cases were evaluated.

CONCLUSION: TB incidence in Galicia is progressively decreasing; however, it is still higher than that of neighbouring regions. A long diagnostic delay was observed, which may have contributed to the high incidence rate in children.