Epidemiological characteristics of tuberculosis incidence and its macro-influence factors in Chinese mainland during 2014-2021.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a pressing public health issue, posing a significant threat to individuals' well-being and lives. This study delves into the TB incidence in Chinese mainland during 2014-2021, aiming to gain deeper insights into their epidemiological characteristics and explore macro-level factors to enhance control and prevention. METHODS: TB incidence data in Chinese mainland from 2014 to 2021 were sourced from the National Notifiable Disease Reporting System (NNDRS). A two-stage distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was constructed to evaluate the lag and non-linearity of daily average temperature (℃, Atemp), average relative humidity (%, ARH), average wind speed (m/s, AWS), sunshine duration (h, SD) and precipitation (mm, PRE) on the TB incidence. A spatial panel data model was used to assess the impact of demographic, medical and health resource, and economic factors on TB incidence. RESULTS: A total of 6,587,439 TB cases were reported in Chinese mainland during 2014-2021, with an average annual incidence rate of 59.17/100,000. The TB incidence decreased from 67.05/100,000 in 2014 to 46.40/100,000 in 2021, notably declining from 2018 to 2021 (APC = -8.87%, 95% CI: -11.97, -6.85%). TB incidence rates were higher among males, farmers, and individuals aged 65 years and older. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed a significant cluster in Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Xizang from March 2017 to June 2019 (RR = 3.94, P < 0.001). From 2014 to 2021, the proportion of etiologically confirmed cases increased from 31.31% to 56.98%, and the time interval from TB onset to diagnosis shortened from 26 days (IQR: 10-56 days) to 19 days (IQR: 7-44 days). Specific meteorological conditions, including low temperature (< 16.69℃), high relative humidity (> 71.73%), low sunshine duration (< 6.18 h) increased the risk of TB incidence, while extreme low wind speed (< 2.79 m/s) decreased the risk. The spatial Durbin model showed positive associations between TB incidence rates and sex ratio (ß = 1.98), number of beds in medical and health institutions per 10,000 population (ß = 0.90), and total health expenses (ß = 0.55). There were negative associations between TB incidence rates and population (ß = -1.14), population density (ß = -0.19), urbanization rate (ß = -0.62), number of medical and health institutions (ß = -0.23), and number of health technicians per 10,000 population (ß = -0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Significant progress has been made in TB control and prevention in China, but challenges persist among some populations and areas. Varied relationships were observed between TB incidence and factors from meteorological, demographic, medical and health resource, and economic aspects. These findings underscore the importance of ongoing efforts to strengthen TB control and implement digital/intelligent surveillance for early risk detection and comprehensive interventions.

Epidemiological characteristics of seven notifiable respiratory infectious diseases in the mainland of China: an analysis of national surveillance data from 2017 to 2021.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs) remain a pressing public health concern, posing a significant threat to the well-being and lives of individuals. This study delves into the incidence of seven primary RIDs during the period 2017-2021, aiming to gain deeper insights into their epidemiological characteristics for the purpose of enhancing control and prevention strategies. METHODS: Data pertaining to seven notifiable RIDs, namely, seasonal influenza, pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), mumps, scarlet fever, pertussis, rubella and measles, in the mainland of China between 2017 and 2021 were obtained from the National Notifiable Disease Reporting System (NNDRS). Joinpoint regression software was utilized to analyze temporal trends, while SaTScan software with a Poisson probability model was used to assess seasonal and spatial patterns. RESULTS: A total of 11,963,886 cases of the seven RIDs were reported during 2017-2021, and yielding a five-year average incidence rate of 170.73 per 100,000 individuals. Among these RIDs, seasonal influenza exhibited the highest average incidence rate (94.14 per 100,000), followed by PTB (55.52 per 100,000), mumps (15.16 per 100,000), scarlet fever (4.02 per 100,000), pertussis (1.10 per 100,000), rubella (0.59 per 100,000), and measles (0.21 per 100,000). Males experienced higher incidence rates across all seven RIDs. PTB incidence was notably elevated among farmers and individuals aged over 65, whereas the other RIDs primarily affected children and students under 15 years of age. The incidences of PTB and measles exhibited a declining trend from 2017 to 2021 (APC = -7.53%, P = 0.009; APC = -40.87%, P = 0.02), while the other five RIDs peaked in 2019. Concerning seasonal and spatial distribution, the seven RIDs displayed distinct characteristics, with variations observed for the same RIDs across different regions. The proportion of laboratory-confirmed cases fluctuated among the seven RIDs from 2017 to 2021, with measles and rubella exhibiting higher proportions and mumps and scarlet fever showing lower proportions. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of PTB and measles demonstrated a decrease in the mainland of China between 2017 and 2021, while the remaining five RIDs reached a peak in 2019. Overall, RIDs continue to pose a significant public health challenge. Urgent action is required to bolster capacity-building efforts and enhance control and prevention strategies for RIDs, taking into account regional disparities and epidemiological nuances. With the rapid advancement of high-tech solutions, the development and effective implementation of a digital/intelligent RIDs control and prevention system are imperative to facilitate precise surveillance, early warnings, and swift responses.

[Main Infection Control Measures for Respiratory Infectious Diseases in Medical Institutions and Public Places in China].

Respiratory infectious diseases (RID) are the major public health problems threatening the people's lives and health.Infection control (IC) is one of the effective tools to contain the occurrence and spread of RID.We collected the articles and data on IC published since January 1,2018 and summarized the achievements,problems,and challenges of IC from administrative control,management control,environment and engineering control,and personal protection in the medical institutions and public places in China.The efforts for IC vary in different regions and medical institutions of different levels.There are still links to be improved for IC from administrative control,management control,environment and engineering control,and personal protection,especially in community-level medical institutions and public areas.It is urgent to strengthen the implementation of IC policies and conduct IC precisely according to local situations.We proposed the following suggestions.First,the existing IC products and tools should be applied to precisely implement the IC measures;second,modern high technology should be employed to develop efficient and convenient IC products and tools;finally,a digital or intelligent IC platform should be built for monitoring infections,so as to contain the occurrence and spread of RID.

Genotyping Characteristics of Human Fecal Escherichia coli and Their Association with Multidrug Resistance in Miyun District, Beijing.

Objective: To explore the genotyping characteristics of human fecal Escherichia coli( E. coli) and the relationships between antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and multidrug resistance (MDR) of E. coli in Miyun District, Beijing, an area with high incidence of infectious diarrheal cases but no related data. Methods: Over a period of 3 years, 94 E. coli strains were isolated from fecal samples collected from Miyun District Hospital, a surveillance hospital of the National Pathogen Identification Network. The antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was determined by the broth microdilution method. ARGs, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and polymorphism trees were analyzed using whole-genome sequencing data (WGS). Results: This study revealed that 68.09% of the isolates had MDR, prevalent and distributed in different clades, with a relatively high rate and low pathogenicity. There was no difference in MDR between the diarrheal (49/70) and healthy groups (15/24). Conclusion: We developed a random forest (RF) prediction model of TEM.1 + baeR + mphA + mphB + QnrS1 + AAC.3-IId to identify MDR status, highlighting its potential for early resistance identification. The causes of MDR are likely mobile units transmitting the ARGs. In the future, we will continue to strengthen the monitoring of ARGs and MDR, and increase the number of strains to further verify the accuracy of the MDR markers.

Epidemiological characteristics of imported respiratory infectious diseases in China, 2014‒2018.

BACKGROUND: With the progress of globalization, international mobility increases, greatly facilitating cross-border transmission of respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs). This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics and factors influencing imported RIDs, with the goal of providing evidence to support adoption of high-tech, intelligent methods to early find imported RIDs and prevent their spread in China. METHODS: We obtained data of imported RIDs cases from 2014 to 2018 from the Inbound Sentinel Network of Customs and the National Notifiable Diseases Reporting System in China. We analyzed spatial, temporal, and population distribution characteristics of the imported RIDs. We developed an index to describe seasonality. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine associations between independent variables and imported cases. Data analyses and visualizations were conducted with R software. RESULTS: From a total of 1 409 265 253 inbound travelers, 31 732 (2.25/100 000) imported RIDs cases were reported. RIDs cases were imported from 142 countries and five continents. The incidence of imported RIDs was nearly 5 times higher in 2018 (2.81/100 000) than in 2014 (0.58/100 000). Among foreigners, incidence rates were higher among males (5.32/100 000), 0-14-year-olds (15.15/100 000), and cases originating in Oceania (11.10/100 000). The vast majority (90.3%) of imported RIDs were influenza, with seasonality consistent with annual seasonality of influenza. The spatial distribution of imported RIDs was different between Chinese citizens and foreigners. Increases in inbound travel volume and the number of influenza cases in source countries were associated with the number of imported RIDs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study documented importation of RIDs into China from 142 countries. Inbound travel poses a significant risks bringing important RIDs to China. It is urgent to strengthen surveillance at customs of inbound travelers and establish an intelligent surveillance and early warning system to prevent importation of RIDs to China for preventing further spread within China.

Risk factors for developing severe COVID-19 in China: an analysis of disease surveillance data.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has posed an enormous threat to public health around the world. Some severe and critical cases have bad prognoses and high case fatality rates, unraveling risk factors for severe COVID-19 are of significance for predicting and preventing illness progression, and reducing case fatality rates. Our study focused on analyzing characteristics of COVID-19 cases and exploring risk factors for developing severe COVID-19. METHODS: The data for this study was disease surveillance data on symptomatic cases of COVID-19 reported from 30 provinces in China between January 19 and March 9, 2020, which included demographics, dates of symptom onset, clinical manifestations at the time of diagnosis, laboratory findings, radiographic findings, underlying disease history, and exposure history. We grouped mild and moderate cases together as non-severe cases and categorized severe and critical cases together as severe cases. We compared characteristics of severe cases and non-severe cases of COVID-19 and explored risk factors for severity. RESULTS: The total number of cases were 12 647 with age from less than 1 year old to 99 years old. The severe cases were 1662 (13.1%), the median age of severe cases was 57 years [Inter-quartile range(IQR): 46-68] and the median age of non-severe cases was 43 years (IQR: 32-54). The risk factors for severe COVID-19 were being male [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2-1.5]; fever (aOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 2.0-2.7), cough (aOR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.6), fatigue (aOR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2-1.5), and chronic kidney disease (aOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4-4.6), hypertension (aOR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2-1.8) and diabetes (aOR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.6-2.4). With the increase of age, risk for the severity was gradually higher [20-39 years (aOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.8-8.4), 40-59 years (aOR = 7.6, 95% CI: 3.6-16.3), ≥ 60 years (aOR = 20.4, 95% CI: 9.5-43.7)], and longer time from symtem onset to diagnosis [3-5 days (aOR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.7), 6-8 days (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.5-2.1), ≥ 9 days(aOR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.6-2.3)]. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed the risk factors for developing severe COVID-19 with large sample size, which included being male, older age, fever, cough, fatigue, delayed diagnosis, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney diasease, early case identification and prompt medical care. Based on these factors, the severity of COVID-19 cases can be predicted. So cases with these risk factors should be paid more attention to prevent severity.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Notifiable Infectious Diseases among Foreign Cases in China, 2004-2017.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the features of notifiable infectious diseases found commonly in foreign nationals in China between 2004 and 2017 to improve public health policy and responses for infectious diseases. METHODS: We performed a descriptive study of notifiable infectious diseases among foreigners reported from 2004 to 2017 in China using data from the Chinese National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System (NNIDRIS). Demographic, temporal-spatial distribution were described and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 67,939 cases of 33 different infectious diseases were reported among foreigners. These diseases were seen in 31 provinces of China and originated from 146 countries of the world. The infectious diseases with the highest incidence number were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) of 18,713 cases, hepatitis B (6,461 cases), hand, foot, and mouth disease (6,327 cases). Yunnan province had the highest number of notifiable infectious diseases in foreigners. There were different trends of the major infectious diseases among foreign cases seen in China and varied among provinces. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first description of the epidemiological characteristic of notifiable infectious diseases among foreigners in China from 2004 to 2017. These data can be used to better inform policymakers about national health priorities for future research and control strategies.

Genetic Diversity and Drug Susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in a Remote Mountain Area of China.

OBJECTIVE: We determined the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in a remote mountainous area of southwest China and evaluated the resolving ability of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping combined with variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) genotyping for Beijing family strains in association with drug resistance status. METHODS: Three hundred thirty-one MTB strains were isolated from patients living in mountainous regions of southwest China, and 8-loci SNP, VNTR-15 genotyping assays, and drug susceptibility testing of 9 drugs were performed. RESULTS: A total of 183 [55.29% (183/331)] strains were classified into the Beijing family. Of the 183 strains, 111 (60.66%) were defined as modern Beijing strains. The most predominant modern Beijing sub-lineage and ancient Beijing sub-lineage were Bmyc10 [39.34% (72/183)] and Bmyc25 [20.77% (38/183)], respectively. Of the isolates, 19.64% (65/331) were resistant to at least 1 of the 9 anti-TB drugs and 17 [4.98% (17/331)] MTB isolates were multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Two hundred sixty-one isolates showed a clustering rate of 14.18% (37/261) and a discriminatory index of 0.9990. The Beijing lineage exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of MDR-TB, as well as resistance to isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), and para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) when analyzed independently (P = 0.005, P = 0.017, P = 0.014, and P = 0.006 respectively). The Beijing lineage was not associated with genetic clustering or resistance to any drug. In addition, genetic clustering was not associated with drug resistance. CONCLUSION: MTB strains demonstrate high genetic diversity in remote mountainous areas of southwest China. Beijing strains, especially modern Beijing strains, are predominant in remote mountainous area of China. The combination of 8-loci SNPs and VNTR-15 genotyping is a useful tool to study the molecular epidemiology of MTB strains in this area.

Prevalence of and risk factors for tuberculosis among healthcare workers in Chinese tuberculosis facilities.

BACKGROUND: China is one of 22 countries with a high tuberculosis (TB) burden in the world. Healthcare workers (HCWs) have a high risk of contracting Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection due to insufficient infection control practices. We conducted a cross-sectional study to explore the prevalence of TB and its associated risk factors among HCWs in Chinese TB facilities. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-one TB facilities employing a total of 9663 HCWs were selected from 12 provinces in China to represent healthcare settings at the provincial, prefectural, and county levels. Structured questionnaires were used to collect information on TB infection control practices and HCWs in those facilities. Data was double entered into EpiData 3.1; TB prevalence and associated risk factors were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 with bivariate and multivariate regression models. RESULTS: The results showed that 71 HCWs had been diagnosed with TB, accounting for a prevalence of 760/100 000. The multivariate analysis showed that associated risk factors included belonging to the age group of 51 years and above (aOR: 6.17, 95% CI: 1.35-28.28), being a nurse (aOR = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.15-8.32), implementation of 0-9 items of management measures (aOR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.37-4.80), and implementation of 0-1 items of ventilation measures (aOR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.31-4.47). CONCLUSION: This was the first national large sampling survey on TB prevalence among HCWs in China. It was found that the implementation of TB infection control practices in some facilities was poor. The TB prevalence in HCWs was higher than that in the general population. Therefore, TB infection control practices in Chinese medical facilities should be strengthened.

Comparing the Genotype and Drug Susceptibilities between Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare in China.

OBJECTIVE: Mycobacterium avium (M. avium) and Mycobacterium intracellulare (M. intracellulare) are the major causative agents of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)-related pulmonary infections. However, little is known about the differences in drug susceptibility profiles between these two species. METHODS: A total of 393 NTM isolates were collected from Shanghai Pulmonary Disease Hospital. Sequencing of partial genes was performed to identify the strains at species level. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was used to evaluate the drug susceptibility against 20 antimicrobial agents. Variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) typing was conducted to genotype these two species. RESULTS: A total of 173 (44.0%) M. avium complex (MAC) isolates were identified, including 41 (10.4%) M. avium isolates and 132 (33.6%) M. intracellulare isolates. Clarithromycin and amikacin were the two most effective agents against MAC isolates. The Hunter-Gaston Discriminatory Index (HGDI) values for VNTR typing of M. avium and M. intracellulare isolates were 0.993 and 0.995, respectively. Levofloxacin resistance was more common among the unclustered strains than among the clustered strains of M. intracellulare. CONCLUSION: M. intracellulare was the most common NTM species in China. Clarithromycin and amikacin had high antimicrobial activities against MAC. VNTR typing of MAC isolates revealed a high discriminatory power. Levofloxacin resistance was associated with unclustered strains of M. intracellulare.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and Molecular Characterization of Mycobacterium fortuitum Isolates in China.

We performed molecular identification of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium fortuitum (M. fortuitum) and conducted drug susceptibility testing to analyze the in vitro susceptibility of clinical M. fortuitum isolates and potential molecular mechanism conferring resistance to fluoroquinolone and macrolide drugs. The results showed that moxifloxacin had the highest in vitro activity against M. fortuitum, and most M. fortuitum isolates were resistant to clarithromycin and linezolid in China. The loss of genetic mutation in clarithromycin- and amikacin-resistant isolates indicates that some other intrinsic mechanism conferring clarithromycin and amikacin resistance plays an essential role in M. fortuitum infection.

Follow-up Study of Retreatment TB Patients with Sputum Smear and/or Culture Positive Two Years after They were Declared Cured with First-line Anti-TB Drugs in Shandong Province.

This study aimed to learn the recurrence rate in the retreatment TB patients with sputum smear and/or culture positive (ss+ and/or c+) two years after they were declared cured, and to explore causes of recurrence in order to improve long-time treatment outcome. 5 cities were selected as research locations. Recurrence of TB was judged by chest X-ray examination together with sputum smear and culture examination. Questionnaire was carried out to collect data on treatment history, demographics and possible risk factors. Chi-square test and logistic regression were conducted using SPSS in this study. As the result, 99 active TB patients were identified and the recurrence rate was 16.67% and irregular medicine and smoking were the causes of the recurrence. The retreatment TB patients with sputum smear and/or culture positive in this study had higher recurrence rate and health education work on regular medication and smoking should be strengthened.

[Analysis on the spatial clustering of tuberculosis based on provincial level in China from 2008 to 2010].

OBJECTIVE: To study the tuberculosis clustering areas and the changing trend, from 2008 to 2010, so as to provider the reference for tuberculosis control. METHODS: Global spatial autocorrelation and SaTScan methods were used to detect and analyse the spatial clustering of total tuberculosis notification rate and the new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis notification rate, at the provincial level from 2008 to 2010. RESULTS: The spatial clustering (SC) phenomenon was significant on total notification rate and new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis notification rate from 2008 to 2010 (P < 0.01). The coverages of clustering areas on total notification rate showed a reduction from 19 provinces to 14 provinces, distributed in the south, west and north-east areas of China. The coverages of clustering areas on new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis notification rate concentrated in 14 provinces which covered the south and north-east of China. CONCLUSION: The disease burden and the risk of transmission in the clustering areas of tuberculosis both located in the south and the north-east of China. The disease burden of tuberculosis was high in the west of China, but not the areas with high risk of transmission.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, People's Republic of China, 2007-2009.

We conducted a case-control study to investigate risk factors for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) in the People's Republic of China. Genotyping analysis was used to estimate the percentage of cases from recent transmission among 100 MDR TB case-patients hospitalized during April 2007-July 2009. Molecular subtyping of isolates showed that 41% of MDR TB strains clustered. Beijing genotype was found in 94% of the MDR TB isolates and 79% of the pan-susceptible isolates. In multivariate analysis, MDR TB was independently associated with Beijing genotype, retreatment for TB, symptoms lasting >3 months before first evaluation at the hospital, lack of health insurance, and being a farmer (vs. being a student). MDR TB was associated with Beijing genotype and lower socioeconomic status. A large percentage of MDR TB cases seemed to result from recent transmission. Early detection, effective treatment, and infection control measures for MDR TB are needed to reduce transmission.

Infection control and the burden of tuberculosis infection and disease in health care workers in china: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals with inadequate infection control are risky environments for the emergence and transmission of tuberculosis (TB). We evaluated TB infection control practices, and the prevalence of latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease and risk factors in health care workers (HCW) in TB centers in Henan province in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2005. To assess TB infection control practices in TB centers, checklists were used. HCW were tuberculin skin tested (TST) to measure LTBI prevalence, and were asked for sputum smears and chest X-rays to detect TB disease, and questionnaires to assess risk factors. Differences between groups for categorical variables were analyzed by binary logistic regression. The clustered design of the study was taken into account by using a multilevel logistic model. RESULTS: The assessment of infection control practices showed that only in a minority of the centers the patient consultation areas and X-ray areas were separated from the waiting areas and administrative areas. Mechanical ventilation was not available in any of the TB centers. N95 respirators were not available for HCW and surgical masks were not available for TB patients and suspects. The LTBI prevalence of HCW with and without BCG scar was 55.6% (432/777) and 49.0% (674/1376), respectively (P = 0.003). Older HCW, HCW with longer duration of employment, and HCW who worked in departments with increased contact with TB patients had a higher prevalence of LTBI. HCW who work in TB centers at the prefecture level, or with an inpatient ward also had a higher prevalence of LTBI. Twenty cases of pulmonary TB were detected among 3746 HCW. The TB prevalence was 6.7/1000 among medical staff and 2.5/1000 among administrative/logistic staff. CONCLUSION: TB infection control in TB centers in Henan, China, appears to be inadequate and the prevalence of LTBI and TB disease among HCW was high. TB infection control practices in TB centers should be strengthened in China, including administrative measures, renovation of buildings, and use of respirators and masks. Regular screening of HCW for TB disease and LTBI needs to be considered, offering preventive therapy to those with TST conversions.

Follow-up of patients with multidrug resistant tuberculosis four years after standardized first-line drug treatment.

BACKGROUND: In 2004, an anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug resistance survey in Heilongjiang province, China, enrolled 1574 (79%) new and 421 (21%) retreatment patients. Multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB was detected in 7.2% of new and 30.4% of retreatment patients. All received treatment with standardized first-line drug (FLD) regimens. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report treatment outcomes of the 2004 cohort, and long-term outcomes as assessed in the second half of 2008. The reported cure rate for MDR-TB patients was 83% (94/113) among new and 66% (85/128) among retreatment patients (P<0.001). Ten of the 241 MDR-TB patients died during treatment. Of the remaining 231, 129 (56%) could be traced in 2008. The overall recurrence rates among new and retreatment cases were 46% and 66%, respectively (P = 0.03). The overall death rates among new and retreatment cases were 25% and 46%, respectively (P = 0.02). Forty percent of the traced new cases and 24% of the retreatment cases were alive and without recurrent TB (P = 0.01). Of the 16 patients who failed or defaulted from treatment in 2004, only two patients were not re-diagnosed with TB by 2008. Of the 111 (86%) patients with an initial successful treatment outcome 63 (57%) had developed recurrent TB, 40 (36%) had died, 27 (24%) of them died of TB. The follow-up period of four years precluded follow-up of all patients. In a highly conservative sensitivity analysis in which we assumed that all non-included patients were alive and did not have recurrent TB, the recurrence and death rate were 33% and 21%. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Documentation of cure based on conventional smear microscopy was a poor predictor of long term outcomes. MDR-TB patients in Heilongjiang province in China had high recurrence and death rates four years after treatment with standardized FLD regimens, reinforcing the need for early diagnosis and treatment of MDR-TB, including assessment of treatment outcomes with more sensitive laboratory methods.