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. 2024 Jan 2;19(1):e0295918.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295918. eCollection 2024.

The epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Spain according to surveillance and hospitalization data, 2012-2020

Teresa Pedraz  1 , Laura Herrera  2   3 , Maria C Vazquez  4 , Oriana Ramírez-Rubio  5 , Rosa Cano  3   6 , Zaida Herrador  3   6 ; Spanish Working Group on Tuberculosis
Affiliations

The epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Spain according to surveillance and hospitalization data, 2012-2020

Teresa Pedraz et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tuberculosis (TB) was the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. In Spain, TB notifications are registered through the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE). The Minimum Basic Data Set (CMBD) provides information on TB hospital discharges. This study aims to assess both registries to complete the picture of TB in order to improve national control strategies and make further progress toward its elimination.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed considering CMBD´s hospital discharges with TB as first diagnosis and notifications to RENAVE between 2012 and 2020. After describing the records of both systems and their differences by using descriptive and multivariate analysis, annual incidences rates were calculated in order to evaluate temporal trends and geographical patters.

Results: According to the CMBD database, there were 29,942 hospitalizations due to TB (65% pulmonary forms and 66% male) during the study period. RENAVE collected 44,520 reported cases, mostly males (62%) with pulmonary forms (72%). Young children were similar in both groups, showing the high frequency of hospitalization in this group. Almost all autonomous communities showed a downward trend, especially Asturias. Hospitalizations in 2020 were analyzed by month separately, and comparing with previous years, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen.

Conclusions: A decreasing trend on TB incidence was observed in Spain since 2012, although this trend might change after COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of both databases, CMBD and RENAVE, has contributed to improve our knowledge of TB in Spain and will help improve the control of this disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Number of hospitalizations by sex, age and type of tuberculosis.
Percentage distribution according to sex. Spain, 2012–2020.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Evolution of tuberculosis rates per 100,000 population in RENAVE and CMBD by type of tuberculosis.
Spain, 2012–2020.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Temporal analysis of monthly moving averages of hospitalized cases due to tuberculosis from 2012 to 2019 compared to 2020 in Spain.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Annual tuberculosis rate changes.
Spain, 2012–2018.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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