Childhood tuberculosis in Qatar

Publication date: Available online 1 December 2016 Source:International Journal of Mycobacteriology Author(s): J.P.N. Singh, Reem Mohammed, Thanveer Thayyullathil, Abdullatif Al-Khal, Zubaida Al- Suwaidi Childhood tuberculosis (TB) has been long neglected but has gained attention in recent years. In 2012, the World Health Organization annual report included an estimate for childhood TB for the first time, and in the following year, the TB Alliance received a grant from UNITAID to develop pediatric TB formulations. Qatar is a low-incidence country. In this observational study, laboratory-confirmed cases of TB were analyzed from 2013 to 2015 and included patients aged ⩽14years. Microscopy and GeneXpert MTB/RIF and MGIT 960 automated culture systems were used to confirm cases at the National TB Reference Laboratory, Qatar. A total of 24 positive cases were identified in this pediatric population, 21 with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and three with Mycobacterium other than tuberculosis. Out of 21 MTBC cases, 19 were direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive and two were smear and PCR negative but culture positive were later confirmed by PCR. Most of the positive specimens were extrapulmonary from pus and tissues biopsies, while six were from pulmonary, five were from sputum and one was from gastric aspirates. Niacin Strip Test was used to identify the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine strains from MTBC infections, and seven patients were infect...
Source: International Journal of Mycobacteriology - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research