Aim: To describe the recent epidemiology of tuberculosis in Auckland and the outcome of contact investigations.
Method: Routine public health data were used to review the experience of tuberculosis (TB) in the Auckland region during a twelve month period in 1992-3.
Results: There were 152 cases, an age-standardised rate of 2.7 per 100,000 for Europeans, 37.8 for Maori, 70.9 for Pacific Island Polynesians and 131.3 for other ethnic groups. Fifty-two (35%) were born in New Zealand; 46 (31%) in Asia; 44 (30%) in the Pacific Islands. Forty-seven percent of foreign-born cases (28% of all cases) arrived in New Zealand in the 4 years preceding their notification. Forty-one per cent of cases appear not to have been diagnosed until 3 months or longer after the onset of their symptoms. Fifteen cases (including three sputum smear-positive cases) took 4 weeks or longer from diagnosis to be notified to the public health office. 12.5% of isolates were not notified. Two per cent of the 1079 contacts examined had tuberculosis.
Conclusion: This review highlights the need for tuberculosis and the importance of timely comprehensive screening of immigrants from high incidence countries; reducing the interval between onset of symptoms and diagnosis; improving the notification rate of tuberculosis; and focusing contact investigation on those at highest risk.