Aporte de los inmigrantes a la tuberculosis en un Servicio de Salud de Chile

Abstract

The assessment of Chilean Tuberculosis Control Program shows a growing increase of tuberculosis
cases in foreign patients in communes of the city of Santiago with higher incidence of this disease.
Through the evaluation of the cases diagnosed in a decade we found an increasing contribution of
foreigners, ranging from about 10% in 2005 to 30% in 2014. The greatest proportion of tuberculosis
cases in foreigners was detected in Santiago, the commune with the highest incidence. In this area,
tuberculosis incidence ranged from 17% in 2005, to 29% in 2015. Treatment efficiency in foreigners
(87.6%) is close to our national goal (90%) and better than in Chilean patients (81.5%). We found a
higher proportion of foreign cases defaulting therapy (11%) in relation to Chilean (7.7%), but the death
rate in foreigners was less than in Chileans (1.5 versus 10.6%). We must strengthen tuberculosis control
strategies focused on foreigner populations.