A Field-Validated Approach Using Surveillance and Genotyping Data to Estimate Tuberculosis Attributable to Recent Transmission in the United States
American Journal of Epidemiology·
- DOI
- 10.1093/aje/kwv121
- PMID
- 26464470
- PMCID
- PMC5996379
- OpenAlex
- W2247211406
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The validated approach enables systematic comparison of recent tuberculosis transmission estimates across different time periods and public health jurisdictions of varying size, supporting more consistent program evaluation and resource allocation decisions.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study sought to develop and validate a genotype-based method for estimating the proportion of tuberculosis cases attributable to recent transmission, using field-based epidemiologic investigation as the reference standard.
Study design
The authors compared multiple genotype-based estimation approaches against field-based epidemiologic investigations conducted in Arkansas, Maryland, and Massachusetts during 1996-2000. They assessed sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy across a range of hypothetical recent transmission prevalence rates.
Population and setting
Tuberculosis cases identified through surveillance in three U.S. states (Arkansas, Maryland, and Massachusetts) between 1996 and 2000 formed the study population.
Main findings
At a hypothetical recent transmission prevalence of 10%, the accuracy of genotype-based estimates ranged from 88.5% for state-based clustering to 94.4% using the novel plausible-source case approach. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy varied by estimation method.
Public-health relevance
The validated approach enables systematic comparison of recent tuberculosis transmission estimates across different time periods and public health jurisdictions of varying size, supporting more consistent program evaluation and resource allocation decisions.
Important limitations
This summary relies on the supplied abstract and bibliographic metadata only. Full assessment of study limitations, including generalizability beyond the three validation states and temporal applicability of 1996-2000 data to current tuberculosis epidemiology, requires review of the complete article.
GIDS interpretation
The article was identified through classifier links to tuberculosis, United States, diagnostics, surveillance, and transmission dynamics topics. It describes a methodologic validation study rather than reporting new transmission estimates from active surveillance.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 8 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.