Resurgence of tuberculosis and the impact of HIV infection

Br Med Bull. 1998;54(3):579-93. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a011712.

Abstract

Tuberculosis is increasing in many countries. In some areas the major influences on tuberculosis trends are the traditional ones: poverty, failures in the treatment system, and immigration. In others, and increasingly, the HIV epidemic is having a huge impact. HIV infection increases the risk of tuberculosis approximately 7-fold, though this may vary with the stage of the HIV epidemic, the prevalence of tuberculosis, and the age groups considered. Dually-infected individuals develop tuberculous disease at a rate of 5-10% per year. HIV also increases the risk of disease following recent infection, which makes a major contribution to the tuberculosis burden in some settings. HIV-infected individuals, may transmit Mycobacterium tuberculosis less than do HIV-negative individuals, but the extra cases will add to the transmission overall, and evidence of HIV-attributable increases in the annual risk of infection is beginning to be seen.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / epidemiology*
  • HIV Infections / complications
  • Humans
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / growth & development
  • Recurrence
  • Risk Factors
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology*
  • Virus Activation