TY - JOUR
T1 - TB-HIV co-infection in the Netherlands
T2 - Estimating prevalence and under-reporting in national registration databases using a capture-recapture analysis
AU - van Leth, F.
AU - Evenblij, K.
AU - Wit, F.
AU - Kiers, A.
AU - Sprenger, H.
AU - Verhagen, M.
AU - Hillebregt, M.
AU - Kalisvaart, N.
AU - Schimmel, H.
AU - Verbon, A.
PY - 2016/6/1
Y1 - 2016/6/1
N2 - Background Knowledge of the HIV status in patients with tuberculosis (TB) and vice versa is crucial for proper individual patient management, while knowledge of the prevalence of co-infection guides preventive and therapeutic strategies. The aim of the study was to assess if national disease databases on TB and HIV are adequate sources to provide this information. Methods A two way capture-recapture analysis to assess the completeness of the registers, and to obtain the prevalence of TB-HIV co-infection in the Netherlands in the years 2002-2012. Results HIV testing was performed in less than 50% of the patients with TB. Of the 932 TB-HIV infected patients, just 293 (31.4%) were registered in both registers. Under-reporting of TB-HIV co-infection ranged from 50% to 70% in the national TB register, and from 31% to 37% in the HIV database. Prevalence of TB-HIV co-infection in the Netherlands in 2012 was 7.1% (95% CI 6.0% to 8.3%), which was more than double of the prevalence estimated from the national TB database. Conclusions TB-HIV co-infection is markedly underreported in national disease databases. There is an urgent need for improved registration and preferably a routine data exchange between the two surveillance systems.
AB - Background Knowledge of the HIV status in patients with tuberculosis (TB) and vice versa is crucial for proper individual patient management, while knowledge of the prevalence of co-infection guides preventive and therapeutic strategies. The aim of the study was to assess if national disease databases on TB and HIV are adequate sources to provide this information. Methods A two way capture-recapture analysis to assess the completeness of the registers, and to obtain the prevalence of TB-HIV co-infection in the Netherlands in the years 2002-2012. Results HIV testing was performed in less than 50% of the patients with TB. Of the 932 TB-HIV infected patients, just 293 (31.4%) were registered in both registers. Under-reporting of TB-HIV co-infection ranged from 50% to 70% in the national TB register, and from 31% to 37% in the HIV database. Prevalence of TB-HIV co-infection in the Netherlands in 2012 was 7.1% (95% CI 6.0% to 8.3%), which was more than double of the prevalence estimated from the national TB database. Conclusions TB-HIV co-infection is markedly underreported in national disease databases. There is an urgent need for improved registration and preferably a routine data exchange between the two surveillance systems.
U2 - 10.1136/jech-2015-206680
DO - 10.1136/jech-2015-206680
M3 - Article
SN - 0143-005X
VL - 70
SP - 556
EP - 560
JO - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
JF - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
IS - 6
ER -