Epidemiology and treatment outcome of MDR and pre-XDR TB in international migrants at two reference centers in the North of Italy: a cross-sectional study coordinated by Stop TB Italia Onlus.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the epidemiology and treatment outcomes of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and pre-extensively-resistant (pre-XDR) tuberculosis (TB) in migrants at two TB reference centers in Italy. STUDY DESIGN: Patient selection criteria for the present study were as follows: age ≥18 years, international migrants (i.e., person who lives in a country other than his/her country of origin), MDR or pre-XDR-TB based on drug-susceptibility test findings, full availability of microbiological, radiological and clinical data. Non-intersecting populations between the two centers were selected. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with a successful (i.e., cured and treatment completed) treatment outcome. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted, from 01/Jan/2000 to 01/Jan/2015, at the Regional TB Reference Centre of Lombardy Region, Villa Marelli Institute/ASST Niguarda Ca' Granda (Milan, Italy) and at the Reference Center for MDR-TB and HIV-TB, Eugenio Morelli Hospital ASST (Sondalo, Italy). All data were made anonymous. Qualitative and quantitative variables were collected in an ad hoc electronic database. The statistical software used for all computations was STATA version 15 (StataCorp, Texas, USA). RESULTS: Overall, 116 MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB cases were recorded: 82 (70.7%) MDR-TB and 34 (29.3%) pre-XDR-TB patients, respectively. The majority (53.5%) were from the World Health Organization European Region (excluding EU/EEA) and 75 (64.5%) were male. Median (interquartile range) age was 32 (26-39) years. TB/HIV coinfection was found in 12 (10.3%) patients. Pulmonary TB was diagnosed in 107/116 (92.2%) patients. Resistance to fluoroquinolones and second-line injectables was detected in 22/116 (19.0%) and 12/107 (11.2%) patients, respectively. Overall treatment success was reached in 95/116 (81.9%) cases. CONCLUSION: Pre-XDR-TB in migrants coming from high-endemic countries represents a matter of concern; therefore, prevention and control activities targeted to high-risk populations are needed to progress toward TB elimination.

Connectivity of diagnostic technologies: improving surveillance and accelerating tuberculosis elimination.

In regard to tuberculosis (TB) and other major global epidemics, the use of new diagnostic tests is increasing dramatically, including in resource-limited countries. Although there has never been as much digital information generated, this data source has not been exploited to its full potential. In this opinion paper, we discuss lessons learned from the global scale-up of these laboratory devices and the pathway to tapping the potential of laboratory-generated information in the field of TB by using connectivity. Responding to the demand for connectivity, innovative third-party players have proposed solutions that have been widely adopted by field users of the Xpert(®) MTB/RIF assay. The experience associated with the utilisation of these systems, which facilitate the monitoring of wide laboratory networks, stressed the need for a more global and comprehensive approach to diagnostic connectivity. In addition to facilitating the reporting of test results, the mobility of digital information allows the sharing of information generated in programme settings. When they become easily accessible, these data can be used to improve patient care, disease surveillance and drug discovery. They should therefore be considered as a public health good. We list several examples of concrete initiatives that should allow data sources to be combined to improve the understanding of the epidemic, support the operational response and, finally, accelerate TB elimination. With the many opportunities that the pooling of data associated with the TB epidemic can provide, pooling of this information at an international level has become an absolute priority.