Epidemiological links among cases with the same genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in aboriginal villages of Hualian County

Dah-Shyong Jiang

2006 Vol.22 NO.5

Correspondence Author：

Abstract：

Tuberculosis has a very long latency period, and hence it is very difficult to trace the source or other cases according to epidemiological data such as contact mode when a tuberculosis case is found (1-2). However, we can group cases with the same genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis into one cluster, and establish relationships of time, place and people in this cluster (3-5). According to data from Laboratory Center of the CDC, Mycobacterium tuberculosis collected from many tuberculosis cases in aboriginal villages of Hualian County belong to the same genotype (6). Therefore, professional personnel from the Field Epidemiology Training Program of CDC together with Health Bureau of Hualian County, regional nurses, heads of grassroots community organizations, and volunteers started an epidemiological investigation on December 16, 2004, trying to ascertain the epidemiological link among the 18 patients with the same genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.