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KMID : 1143420210140150858
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Public Health Weekly Report
2021 Volume.14 No. 15 p.858 ~ p.870
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Results of the 2020 Homeless Tuberculosis (TB) Screening in South Korea
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Shin Jee-Yeon
Kim Hee-Ae
In Hye-Kyung
Shim Eun-Hye
Park Ah-Young
On Jin-Hee
Kim Yun-Soo
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Abstract
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Tuberculosis(TB) is a respiratory infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB can be completely cured by taking
regular medication for more than six months. However, homeless people are a high-risk group for TB due to poor housing,
hygiene, and nutritional conditions, and low accessibility to medical use. The aim of this study was to report results of Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s (KDCA) 2020 homeless TB screening in South Korea. 12,692 people were participated in total; homeless on streets 1,859, homeless in shelters 6,531, residents of jjokbangs 3,006, undocumented residents/registered foreigners 297, workers in shelters 999. As homeless people are recommended to be screened more than once every six months, 15,777 screenings were conducted. As a result of chest x-rays (15,777) and sputum examinations (2,362), 21 TB patients (165.5 people per 100,000 population) were reported. This was about 4.3 times higher than the incidence of TB in the general population (38.8 people per 100,000 population, 19,933 people). In the case of males, elderly people, symptoms of TB, histories of TB, drinking, and underlying diseases, no TB screenings in the last year increased the TB incidence. The treatment status of 21 TB patients found is 2 were cured and 1 was completed their treatment, and 17 were undergoing treatment and one returned home infection disappeared. The KDCA is continuing its homeless TB screening project in 2021. This will strengthen the management of TB and resolve blind spots for vulnerable groups by supporting various health and welfare links to expand screening of ndocumented residents and improve the success rate of treatment for TB patients.
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KEYWORD
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Tuberculosis (TB), Homeless, Mass Screening, X-Rays, Sputum, Incidence
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