RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 TB-HIV co-infection in EU and EEA countries
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP erj01984-2010
DO 10.1183/09031936.00198410
A1 L. Pimpin
A1 L.N. Drumright
A1 M.E. Kruijshaar
A1 I. Abubakar
A1 B. Rice
A1 V. Delpech
A1 V. Hollo
A1 A. Amato-Gauci
A1 D. Manissero
A1 C. Ködmön
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2011/07/07/09031936.00198410.abstract
AB In order to ensure the availability of resources for tuberculosis (TB) and HIV management and control, it is imperative that countries monitor and plan for co-infection to identify, treat, and prevent TB-HIV co-infection thereby reducing TB burden and increasing healthy life years of people living with HIV.A systematic review was undertaken to determine the burden of TB-HIV infection in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA). Data on the burden of HIV-infection in TB patients and risk factors for TB-HIV co-infection from studies that collected information in 1996 and later, regardless of the year of initiation of data collection, in EU/EEA were extracted and a narrative synthesis presented.The proportion of HIV-co-infected TB patients varied from 0 to 15%. Western and Eastern countries had higher levels and increasing trends of infection over time compared to Central EU/EEA countries. Groups at higher risk of TB-HIV co-infection were males, young adults, foreign-born persons, homeless, injecting-drug users and prisoners.Further research is needed into the burden and associated risk-factors of co-infection in Europe, to help plan effective control measures. Increased HIV testing of TB patients and targeted and informed strategies for control and prevention could help curb the co-infection epidemic.