Tuberculosis in older people--is it on the increase? Trends in notifications in Leeds from 1976 to 1996

Abstract

Objectives: the absolute number of notifications for tuberculosis in older people appears to have increased in Scotland. To determine if these trends are present elsewhere in the UK, we have reviewed notifications in Leeds with particular reference to non-pulmonary disease, Asian subcontinent groups and older people.

Methods: we reviewed all notifications in Leeds (total population in 1991, 681 000; population aged > or =65 years in 1991, 101 000) during the 21 years 1976-96.

Results: total tuberculosis notifications for all age groups fell from 34 per 10(5) in 1976 to 11 per 10(5) in 1987 and then plateaued. The incidence in those aged 65 years and over (about 34 per 10(5)) has not shown a large change, but the number of notifications in this group as a percentage of all notifications increased from about 16% in 1977 (when this group constituted 15% of the population) to 34% in 1989 (when this group constituted 16% of the population) and has remained at this level since. Numbers of cases of non-respiratory tuberculosis and tuberculosis in the older Asian population remained low throughout the 21 years.

Conclusion: tuberculosis notification rates are much higher in older people, but the absolute numbers do not appear to be increasing.