Individuals' Vulnerability Based Active Surveillance for TB: Experiences from India.

Community-based active TB case finding (ACF) has become an essential part of TB elimination efforts in high-burden settings. In settings such as the state of Kerala in India, which has reported an annual decline of 7.5% in the estimated TB incidence since 2015, if ACF is not well targeted, it may end up with a less-than-desired yield, the wastage of scarce resources, and the burdening of health systems.

"They know, they agree, but they don't do"--the paradox of tuberculosis case notification by private practitioners in Alappuzha district, Kerala, India.

Background: Despite being a recognized standard of tuberculosis (TB) care internationally, mandatory TB case notification brings forth challenges from the private sector. Only three TB cases were notified in 2013 by private practitioners compared to 2000 TB cases notified yearly from the public sector in Alappuzha district. The study objective was to explore the knowledge, opinion and barriers regarding TB Notification among private practitioners offering TB services in Alappuzha, Kerala state, India.

Does Alcohol consumption during multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment affect outcome?. A population-based study in Kerala, India.

Rationale: India reports the largest number of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases in the world; yet, no longitudinal study has assessed factors related to treatment outcomes under programmatic conditions in the public sector.

Objectives: To describe demographic, clinical, and risk characteristics associated with treatment outcomes for all patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis registered in the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Kerala State, India from January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

Methods: Cox regression methods were used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess factors associated with an unsuccessful treatment outcome.

High diabetes prevalence among tuberculosis cases in Kerala, India.

Background: While diabetes mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for tuberculosis, the prevalence among TB patients in India is unknown. Routine screening of TB patients for DM may be an opportunity for its early diagnosis and improved management and might improve TB treatment outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of TB patients registered from June-July 2011 in the state of Kerala, India, to determine the prevalence of DM.