Representativeness of Tuberculosis Genotyping Surveillance in the United States, 2009-2010

Public Health Rep. 2015 Nov-Dec;130(6):596-601. doi: 10.1177/003335491513000607.

Abstract

Genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates contributes to tuberculosis (TB) control through detection of possible outbreaks. However, 20% of U.S. cases do not have an isolate for testing, and 10% of cases with isolates do not have a genotype reported. TB outbreaks in populations with incomplete genotyping data might be missed by genotyping-based outbreak detection. Therefore, we assessed the representativeness of TB genotyping data by comparing characteristics of cases reported during January 1, 2009-December 31, 2010, that had a genotype result with those cases that did not. Of 22,476 cases, 14,922 (66%) had a genotype result. Cases without genotype results were more likely to be patients <19 years of age, with unknown HIV status, of female sex, U.S.-born, and with no recent history of homelessness or substance abuse. Although cases with a genotype result are largely representative of all reported U.S. TB cases, outbreak detection methods that rely solely on genotyping data may underestimate TB transmission among certain groups.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Epidemiological Monitoring
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics*
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology*
  • Tuberculosis / transmission
  • United States