Incidence and clinical significance of non-tuberculous mycobacteria among migrants in Denmark: A nationwide register-based cohort study from 1991 through 2021

Background: There is limited knowledge about non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections in migrants. We aimed to assess the incidence and clinical significance of NTM among migrants in Denmark. Method: Nationwide register-based cohort study of migrants with a positive NTM culture in Denmark from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Main Authors: Victor Naestholt Dahl, Thomas Stig Hermansen, Aase Bengaard Andersen, Jakko van Ingen, Erik Svensson, Christian Morberg Wejse, Troels Lillebaek
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024
Subjects:
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria
Migrants
Epidemiology
Incidence
Nationwide
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2024.102736
https://doaj.org/article/6c2c728711fa42bc8160c230b2344afc
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Summary:Background: There is limited knowledge about non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections in migrants. We aimed to assess the incidence and clinical significance of NTM among migrants in Denmark. Method: Nationwide register-based cohort study of migrants with a positive NTM culture in Denmark from 1991 through 2021, stratified by patient demographics, disease localisation, species, and clinical significance. Results: 433 migrants had a positive NTM culture, resulting in an overall incidence rate (IR) of 3.7 (95%CI 3.3–4.0) per 100,000 migrants. Overall NTM IRs for definite disease were 1.0 (95%CI 0.9–1.2), possible disease 1.0 (95%CI 0.8–1.2), and isolation 1.7 (95%CI 1.4–1.9) per 100,000 migrants. Migrants had considerably higher age- and sex-adjusted NTM IRs of positive cultures (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.1, 95%CI 1.9–2.3, p < 0.001), possible disease (IRR = 2.4, 95%CI 2.0–3.0, p < 0.001), and isolation (IRR = 4.6, 95%CI 3.9–5.4, p < 0.001) compared to Danish-born, but not of definite disease (IRR = 1.1, 95%CI 0.9–1.3, p = 0.562). IRs of migrants with positive NTM cultures did not increase over time (−0.8 %/year, p = 0.133). Conclusions: Migrants have a higher, but stable, burden of NTM compared with Danish-born. The higher rates likely reflect that more specimens are examined for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Microbiologically classified definite NTM disease is not substantially more common among migrants.

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