Another of CIETmexico’s TB studies was a 2003 survey of chronic coughers aged 14 years or older in 26 communities with both indigenous and mestizo residents spread throughout five regions of the State. The survey covered a population of 6,242 persons aged 14 years or older in more than 2,000 households. Slightly more than one in ten were identified as chronic coughers, defined as those who had been coughing regularly for at least two weeks prior to the survey. Sputum samples were collected from 429 of the coughers and ten cases of TB were detected from these samples. Ten cases out of 6,242 represent a TB incidence rate of 160 per 100,000 inhabitants, considerably higher that the 14.3 officially reported for Mexico and 34.6 for Guerrero in 2005.

The principal factors independently associated with chronic coughing by multivariate analysis were: having a history of TB (97 people reported such histories of whom 60 had undergone treatment but only 18 had completed the treatment); being 29 years of age or older; living in Acapulco or the Costa Chica region of the State; having had contact with someone who was sick with TB; and not having any paid employment.

These data are helpful for improving TB prevention and control strategies in Guerrero by identifying the groups at highest risk.

Further details about this study can be obtained from the doctoral thesis of Elizabeth Nava Aguilera, Epidemiología molecular de tuberculosis pulmonar: Factores de riesgo asociados a transmisión reciente de Mycobacterium tuberculosis en Guerrero, México, available from the library.