RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: evaluation of tuberculosis (TB) rates and treatment outcomes in two Albanian districts of similar population, but different disease diffusion: Kamez and Vlore. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: retrospective observational study of all the medical charts of not-HIV+ TB patients in Vlore from 2002 to 2011, and in Kamez from 2004 to 2011. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS: at Vlore the cases observed were 120 cases (mean age: 43 years, 68% males); the incidence rate was substantially stable in the study period, with 8 cases/100,000 inhabitants/year, and, overall, lower (p <0.001) than at Kamez. The TB cases founded were 160 (mean age: 45 years, 61% males) at Kamez, with decreasing incidence rate (Annual Percent Change - APC: -12%; p =0.00022), from 30-42/100,000 inhabitants/year in 2004- 2005 to 16.4/100,000 in 2011. New and retreated cases were, respectively, 96.7% and 3.3% at Vlore, and 96.25% and 3.75% at Kamez. Pulmonary TB was 75% at Vlore and 65% at Kamez. Most cases with pulmonary TB (79%) were microbiologically confirmed. Overall, successful treatments and relapses were respectively observed in 89% and 3% of cases with no drug resistance CONCLUSIONS: in the first years of the third millennium, TB rates remain different between the two studied Albanian districts, but with a significant reduction in the area with greater baseline incidence (Kamez); overall disease control seems to be good.
