Human Tuberculosis Caused by Mycobacterium bovis in Taiwan
Author Information
Author(s): Jou Ruwen, Huang Wei-Lun, Chiang Chen-Yuan
Primary Institution: Centers for Disease Control, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Hypothesis
What is the epidemiology of human tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis in Taiwan?
Conclusion
The study found that aboriginal persons in Taiwan are more likely to have tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis.
Supporting Evidence
- 73.1% of the patients were male.
- 80% of the M. bovis-infected patients were male.
- 66.7% of the M. bovis patients had newly diagnosed TB.
- 86.7% of the M. bovis patients had pulmonary TB.
- Aboriginal ethnicity was significantly associated with TB caused by M. bovis.
Takeaway
This study looked at people in Taiwan who got sick from a type of bacteria that usually affects cows. It found that many of these sick people were from a specific group of people called aboriginals.
Methodology
The study used spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR methods to investigate human TB caused by M. bovis.
Potential Biases
The study may have bias due to the lack of a surveillance system for human TB cases caused by M. bovis.
Limitations
Insufficient epidemiologic data limited the ability to determine the proportion of cases caused by reactivation of latent infection versus recent transmission.
Participant Demographics
Of the 15 patients, 12 were male, 3 were female, and most were from eastern Taiwan.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI (2.4–23.4)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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