Key drivers of the TB epidemic in Suriname and priority actions to reduce incidence and mortality.

BACKGROUND: The WHO has recently published updated guidance for national strategic planning for TB. To address the TB epidemic comprehensively, it is necessary to conduct an epidemiological review as part of the situation analysis in the national strategic plan. METHODS: A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted using data from the national TB register for the period of 2010-2020. Simple frequencies were calculated for demographic and clinical variables. Trends in TB notification rates for the period 2010-2020 were also calculated. RESULTS: TB notification rates between 2011 (24.3/100,000) and 2019 (23.9/100,000) remained almost the same. The HIV status was known for 97.1% of TB cases, 22.7% of whom had HIV co-infection; 10.9% of patients with detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis were also resistant to rifampicin. Case fatality rate for all cases was 13.0%. Of the identified contacts, 66% were screened; 28.3-47.5% of those with TB infection started treatment, 63.3-75.9% of whom completed treatment. CONCLUSION: The review identified the following areas of concern: no decline in TB rates, high proportion of TB-HIV co-infection, high rate of resistance to rifampicin, high case-fatality rates and suboptimal contact investigation care cascade . The review was used to inform interventions and key actions to reduce TB morbidity and mortality in Suriname.

CONTEXTE: L'OMS a récemment publié des orientations actualisées pour la planification stratégique nationale de la TB. Pour faire face à l'épidémie de TB de manière globale, il est nécessaire de procéder à un examen épidémiologique dans le cadre de l'analyse de la situation du plan stratégique national. MÉTHODES: Une étude épidémiologique descriptive a été réalisée à partir des données du registre national de la TB pour la période 2010­2020. Des fréquences simples ont été calculées pour les variables démographiques et cliniques. Les tendances des taux de notification de la TB pour la période 2010­2020 ont également été calculées. RÉSULTATS: Les taux de notification de la TB entre 2011 (24,3/100 000) et 2019 (23,9/100 000) sont restés pratiquement les mêmes. Le statut VIH était connu pour 97,1% des cas de TB, dont 22,7% présentaient une co-infection par le VIH ; 10,9% des patients chez qui Mycobacterium tuberculosis avait été détecté étaient également résistants à la rifampicine. Le taux de létalité pour l'ensemble des cas était de 13,0%. Parmi les contacts identifiés, 66% ont fait l'objet d'un dépistage ; 28,3­47,5% des personnes infectées par la TB ont entamé un traitement, et 63,3­75,9% d'entre elles l'ont achevé. CONCLUSION: L'étude a permis d'identifier les domaines de préoccupation suivants : absence de baisse des taux de TB, proportion élevée de co-infection TB-VIH, taux élevé de résistance à la rifampicine, taux élevé de létalité et cascade de soins sous-optimale en matière d'investigation des contacts. L'étude a été utilisée pour informer les interventions et les actions clés visant à réduire la morbidité et la mortalité dues à la TB au Suriname.

Should treatment of low-level rifampicin mono-resistant tuberculosis be different?

BACKGROUND: Rifampicin resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) was frequently detected in Suriname after the introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF in 2012. Subsequent phenotypic drug-susceptibility testing (DST) was not conclusive at that moment, while RR-TB patients treated with first-line tuberculostatics had good treatment outcome. In our study, we analysed this interesting observation. METHODS: We collected demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of TB patients from May 2012-December 2018 and performed a univariate and multivariate analysis to assess possible associations with resistance to rifampicin. Secondly, we conducted whole genome sequencing on all available Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates that had a rifampicin resistance in the Xpert MTB/RIF test and performed phenotypic DST on selected isolates. FINDINGS: RR-TB was detected in 59 (9.6%) patients confirmed by Xpert. These patients were treated with rifampicin-containing regimens in most (88%) of the cases. In all 32 samples examined, a D435Y mutation in the rpoB gene was identified; only one isolate revealed an additional isoniazid mutation. Phenotypic DST indicated low-level rifampicin resistance. In multivariate analysis, the Creole ethnicity was a factor associated with rifampicin resistance (aOR 3.5; 95%CI 1.9-6.4). The treatment success rate for patients with RR-TB (78.0%) was comparable to the treatment outcome in non-RR-TB patients 77.8%. INTERPRETATION: This study confirms a low-level rifampicin mono-resistance in TB patients of Suriname. These patients could benefit from a first-line regimen with high dose rifampicin (or rifabutin), rather than from the lengthy treatment regimens for rifampicin-resistant and multi-drug resistant TB, a concept of stratified medicine also advocated for the treatment of TB. FUNDING: None.