New approach for tuberculosis contact tracing implemented in the two regions of Kyrgyz Republic during 2017-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) contact investigation as a proved approach for finding new TB cases, is not fully performed in Kyrgyzstan. In 2018, the country started aligning the National Guidelines for tracking contacts with the WHO recommendations by expanding the definition for TB index cases to all close contacts, regardless of their TB risk status. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional census aimed to determine the active case detection changes among TB contacts after implementation of a new TB tracing strategy using the National Surveillance data. We compared populations in Chui and Issyk-Kul regions of Kyrgyzstan who had contacts with TB index cases before (2017) and after (2018) strategic changes for the rates of indexes, contacts, screened contacts, and detected TB among screened contacts. RESULTS: New TB tracing strategy resulted in increased numbers of indexes (21%) and contacts (36%). Though the smaller number of contacts (1730 vs. 1590) have been screened in 2018, the proportion of TB diagnosed was substantially higher (95% CI: 0.024-0.005; p = 0.002) in 2018 vs. 2017. The mean numbers of TB contacts per-one-index-case also has increased dramatically by 117% (1.8 vs. 3.9) in Chui and by 43% (3.0 vs. 4.3) in Issyk-Kul regions (95% CI: 3.20-3.37; p < 0.001 and 95% CI: 2.97-3.09; p < 0.001, respectively) between 2018 and 2017. CONCLUSION: Extending new tracing approach to other regions of Kyrgyzstan will increase the number of identified contacts, leading to better TB control in the country and prevention of more severe TB development among the unidentified contacts.

Epidemic cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in Kyrgyzstan: an analysis of national surveillance data.

BACKGROUND: Human cystic and alveolar echinococcosis are among the priority neglected zoonotic diseases for which WHO advocates control. The incidence of both cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis has increased substantially in the past 30 years in Kyrgyzstan. Given the scarcity of adequate data on the local geographical variation of these focal diseases, we aimed to investigate within-country incidence and geographical variation of cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis at a high spatial resolution in Kyrgyzstan. METHODS: We mapped all confirmed surgical cases of cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis reported through the national echinococcosis surveillance system in Kyrgyzstan between Jan 1, 2014, and Dec 31, 2016, from nine regional databases. We then estimated crude surgical incidence, standardised incidence, and standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) of primary cases (ie, excluding relapses) based on age and sex at country, region, district, and local community levels. Finally, we tested the SIRs for global and local spatial autocorrelation to identify disease hotspots at the local community level. All incidence estimates were calculated per 100 000 population and averaged across the 3-year study period to obtain annual estimates. FINDINGS: The surveillance system reported 2359 primary surgical cases of cystic echinococcosis and 546 primary surgical cases of alveolar echinococcosis. Country-level crude surgical incidence was 13·1 per 100 000 population per year for cystic echinococcosis and 3·02 per 100 000 population per year for alveolar echinococcosis. At the local community level, we found annual crude surgical incidences up to 176 per 100 000 population in Sary-Kamysh (Jalal-Abad region) for cystic echinococcosis and 246 per 100 000 population in Uch-Dobo (Alay district, Osh region) for alveolar echinococcosis. Significant hotspots of cystic echinococcosis were found in four regions: Osh (five local communities in Uzgen district and four in Alay district), Naryn (three local communities in Jumgal district and one in Naryn district), Talas (three local communities in Talas district), and Chuy (one local community in Jayyl district). Significant alveolar echinococcosis hotspots were detected in the Osh region (11 communities in Alay district, including the local community of Sary Mogol, and one in Chong-Alay district) and in the Naryn region (five communities in Jumgal district and three in At-Bashy district), in the southwest and centre of the country. INTERPRETATION: Our analyses reveal remarkable within-country variation in the surgical incidence of cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis in Kyrgyzstan. These high-resolution maps identify precise locations where interventions and epidemiological research should be targeted to reduce the burden of human cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis. FUNDING: Swiss National Science Foundation.