Study objectives: To evaluate the outcomes of a tuberculosis (TB) screening program for recent
immigrants to San Diego County, CA, and to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics
of pulmonary TB cases occurring in recently arrived foreign-born persons detected through
this screening with those of similar cases found through routine surveillance.
Design: Retrospective review of computer databases and medical records.
Setting: Local public health department.
Patients: Recent immigrants and refugees classified as TB suspects in their country of departure
and foreign-born patients with active TB detected through routine surveillance.
Results: Five hundred seventy-one of 658 immigrants and refugees (87%) of completed screening.
Thirty-nine subjects (7%) were found to have active TB, and 433 subjects (76%) were found to
have latent TB. A diagnosis of active TB was associated with age of 25 to 44 years (odds ratio, 3.6;
95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 11.6) and A (odds ratio, 25.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to
512.2) or B1 classifications (odds ratio, 4.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.5 to 12.5). Cases detected
through screening comprised 12% of all reported foreign-born persons with active TB. Compared
to other recently arrived foreign-born persons with active TB, those detected through
immigrant screening were more likely to be Asian and born in the Philippines and less likely to
have advanced disease.
Conclusions: Most immigrants and refugees classified as TB suspects by foreign screening
completed the US screening process, which had a high yield for detecting active and latent TB.
Only a minority of foreign-born persons (12%) with active TB were discovered through this
program, however, and additional measures are needed to facilitate early case finding in other
foreign-born populations. (CHEST 2004; 126:1777–1782)
Key words: immigrant; refugee; screening; tuberculosis
Screening of Immigrants and Refugees for Pulmonary Tuberculosis in San Diego County, California