TB Research

The potential yield of geographically targeted tuberculosis contact investigation in urban Uganda.

Katherine O Robsky, Annet Nalutaaya, Peter James Kitonsa, James Mukiibi, David Isooba, Olga Nakasolya, Emily A Kendall, Jonathan Zelner, et al. (11 authors)

Epidemiology and infection · 2025-09

Abstract

We investigated the potential yield of conducting active case finding for tuberculosis (TB) within a defined geographic radius (50 or 100&#xa0;m) around the households of individuals diagnosed with TB at health facilities. In a well-defined geographic area within Kampala, Uganda, residential locations were determined for 85 people diagnosed with TB at local health facilities over an 18-month period and for 60 individuals diagnosed with TB during a subsequent community-wide door-to-door screening campaign. Ten of the individuals diagnosed through community screening lived within 50&#xa0;m of an individual previously diagnosed with TB in a local health facility (TB prevalence: 0.98%), and 15 lived at a distance of 50-100&#xa0;m (prevalence: 0.87%). The prevalence ratio was 1.4 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7-2.9) for those <50&#xa0;m and 1.2 (95% CI 0.6-2.2) for those 50-100&#xa0;m, compared to >100&#xa0;m. Using TB notifications to identify areas for geographically targeted case finding is at most moderately more efficient than screening the general population in the context of urban Uganda.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Uganda
  • Male
  • Female
  • Adult
  • Tuberculosis
  • Contact Tracing
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Adolescent
  • Young Adult
  • Urban Population
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Aged
  • Mass Screening