A tuberculosis outbreak at an insecure, temporary housing facility, manga café, Tokyo, Japan, 2016–2017. (2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Endo, M.; Ota, M.; Kayebeta, A.; Takahashi, I.; Nagata, Y.
• Is Part Of: Epidemiology and infection. Volume 147(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019
• Subjects: Contact investigation, -- disease outbreak, -- epidemiology, -- tuberculosis; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; 614.4
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268819001092
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-2688

Abstract

Abstract: In November 2016, a woman in her 30s who stayed at an insecure, temporary housing facility, a manga café in Tokyo, Japan, for a year was diagnosed with sputum smear-positive tuberculosis (TB). Since the café had 31 staff members and provided with accommodation to many people, the local health office initiated a contact investigation. This study aims to characterise the cases found in the outbreak. A TB case was defined as a person tested bacteriologically positive for TB, or was determined to have TB by a physician. A latent TB infection case was defined as a person tested positive by interferon- γ release assay. From January 2016 through November 2017, there were 31 staff members at the manga café, of which, six developed TB disease (one smear-negative, culture-positive and five smear- and culture-negative) in addition to seven LTBI. Another long-term customer was found having sputum smear-positive TB. Variable numbers tandem repeat (VNTR) test revealed that the index patient and the long-term customer had the identical type of VNTR; however, one staff member had a different VNTR. Local health authorities should intensify screening long-term customers of such facilities for TB regularly as well as once a TB outbreak occurs.