Investigation And Intervention of Multiple Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Outbreak in A Community of Yunlin County, 2017

DOI: 10.6525/TEB.202003_36(6).0002

Shu-Hsiang Chung^*, Shu-Chen Chang, Pei-Ling Lee, Huai-Te Tsai, Jen-Te Wang, Jui-Wei Hsieh, Tsuey-Fong Lee

2020 Vol.36 NO.6

Correspondence Author： Shu-Hsiang Chung^*

Abstract：

        A patient of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) was first identified in a community, which had relatively high TB incidence rates and large number of drug-resistant TB cases, in Yunlin County in 2005. Afterwards, a total of 14 MDR-TB cases with the same strain had been reported before 2017. To prevent the TB outbreak from wide spreading in the community, the health authorities established prevention measures by re-investigation of the outbreak after a specialist meeting on Oct. 17, 2017. Epidemiologic investigation revealed that at least three interpersonal networks might be the transmission chains of the outbreak. After screening in the community, 164 interferon gamma release assay (IGRA)-positive patients were detected and were futher divided into 148 MDR-TB contacts and 16 TB contacts. Among 16 TB contacts, 13 completed latent tuberculosis infection treatment, 2 were receiving 9H treatment, and 1 discontinued the treatment. Up to 2018, no new case had been found, which indicated that the intervention by active case finding and early treatment was effective to prevention and control the outbreak.