Epidemiological investigation of a pulmonary tuberculosis outbreak involving six high schools / 预防医学

@#In September 2020, three pulmonary tuberculosis cases were identified during school physical examinations at a senior high school in a district (School B) of Hangzhou City. Immediate epidemiological surveys were performed by local district and Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and a pulmonary tuberculosis outbreak involving 9 cases in 6 schools were identified. All cases were once Grade 9 students in Class of 2019 at a junior high school (School A), and the source of infection might be a laboratory-confirmed cases (index case) in this class reported in April, 2019. Following exposure to index case, other cases developed disease onset or were screened after entering senior high schools. In November, 2020, tuberculin skin test and chest X-ray scan were performed to screen pulmonary tuberculosis among 43 students and teachers in a class of Grade 9 in Class of 2019 at School A, and 17 students strongly positive for tuberculin skin test were given prophylactic therapy. No pulmonary tuberculosis case were identified until June 2021. It is suggested that early epidemiological surveys facilitates the identification of the epidemiological correlation between cases. Active search for individuals with common exposure history and prophylactic therapy are required if a possible outbreak is found, which is helpful to avoid the spread of the outbreak.

Condom use among HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate condom use and associated factors among HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Fuyang District, Hangzhou City, so as to provide insights into instructing the correct use of condoms and controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS patients.@*Methods@#A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted to collect demographic information, sexual behaviors during recent 6 months and condom use of HIV/AIDS patients receiving ART in Fuyang District from May to December, 2022. Descriptive analysis was employed on the proportion of participants who insisted on using condoms at each sexual contact, and a multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors affecting condom use at each sexual contact.@*Results@#Totally 111 HIV/AIDS patients who received ART and had sexual contacts during recent 6 months were investigated, with a median age of 43.00 (interquartile range, 19.00) years. There were 82 males (73.87%), 63 married cases (56.76%), 52 cases with homosexual behaviors (46.85%), 110 cases insisting on using condom after ART (99.10%), 101 cases insisting on using condoms at each sexual contact (90.99%). Among 93 patients being aware of HIV infection status of all sexual partners, 93.55% of the patients insisted on using condoms at each sexual contact. Among 105 patients without sexually transmitted diseases (STD) diagnosis and treatment, 94.29% of the patients insisted on using condoms at each sexual contact. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified aware of HIV infection status of sexual partners (OR=0.046, 95%CI: 0.004-0.560), no STD diagnosis and treatment (OR=0.060, 95%CI: 0.004-0.890) as promoting factors for condom use at each sexual contact among HIV/AIDS patients receiving ART.@*Conclusions@#There is a high proportion of condom use at each sexual contact among HIV/AIDS patients receiving ART in Fuyang District. Patients who are aware of sexual partners' HIV infection and have not received STD diagnosis and treatment are more likely to insist on using condoms at each sexual contact.