Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113842

Paige L. Bordelon, MPH¹, James M. Musser, MD, PhD², and Edward A. Graviss, PhD, MPH². (1) Epidemiology, University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, 1200 Herman Pressler, Houston, TX 77030, 713-500-9000, Paige.L.Bordelon@uth.tmc.edu, (2) Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030

OBJECTIVE: To determine if drug users with tuberculosis (TB) in a large urban United States county, differ from non-drug users with TB with respect to socio-demographic and behavioral factors as well as clinical presentation and microbiological molecular features. DESIGN: A population-based nested case-control study using data obtained from the Houston Tuberculosis Initiative (HTI). RESULTS: We found that among 2,023 TB patients, variables that were associated with illicit drug users in a multivariate model were individuals being less than 50 years of age, having been born in the U.S., self-identifying a history of prison incarceration, having a history of participating in an alcohol detoxification program, and having sex partners that use crack/cocaine. CONCLUSION: Drug users who have TB differ from non-drug users who have TB in several key demographic and behavioral variables. The illicit drug using population represents a population whose lifestyle puts them at increased risk for becoming infected with and developing TB disease. It is therefore important for public health efforts to focus on this high-risk group with targeted TB screening and control efforts.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Describe the sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics of self-reported drug users with tuberculosis
• 2. Discuss what differences between drug users and non-drug users effect the transmission of tuberculosis in large urban settings

Keywords: Tuberculosis, Drug Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation