Epidemiology and Infection

Table of Contents - 2007 - Volume 135, Issue 01  


A chain-binomial model for intra-household spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a low socio-economic setting in Pakistan

S. AKHTAR a1a2c1, T. E. CARPENTER a3a4 and S. K. RATHI a2
a1 Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait
a2 Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
a3 Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
a4 Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

Article author query
akhtar s   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
carpenter te   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
rathi sk   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

A simulation study using Greenwood's chain-binomial model was carried out to elucidate the spread and control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among the household contacts of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients. Based on the observed data, the maximum-likelihood estimates (±S.E.) of chain-binomial probabilities of intra-household M. tuberculosis transmission from an index case in 3-person and 4-person households were 0·313±0·008 and 0·325±0·009 respectively. The χ2 goodness-of-fit test of observed and simulated mean expected frequencies of cases revealed good fit for 3-person (P=0·979) and 4-person (P=0·546) households. With the assumption of varying risk of M. tuberculosis transmission across the households under β-distribution, goodness-of-fit tests of observed and mean simulated expected frequencies revealed the inadequacy of Greenwood's chain-binomial model both for 3-person (P=0·0185) and 4-person (P<0·001) households. Simulated M. tuberculosis control strategy comprising efficient diagnosis, segregation and prompt antibiotic therapy of index pulmonary TB patients showed a substantial reduction of new cases among the household contacts in both household sizes. In conclusion, segregation coupled with prompt antibiotic therapy of the index case, chemoprophylaxis of M. tuberculosis-exposed household contacts, and the assessment of household environmental risks to devise and implement an educational programme may help reduce the TB burden in this and similar settings.

(Accepted March 8 2006)
(Published Online June 2 2006)


Correspondence:
c1 Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait. (Email: saeed.akhtar@hsc.edu.kw)

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