The effect of increased foreign immigration on tuberculosis incidence and resistance status

Aim: This study aimed to examine the demographic characteristics of patients diagnosed with tuberculosis in Çorum between 2014-2023, and to investigate the effects of increased foreign immigration on tuberculosis case numbers and drug resistance patterns. Materials and Methods: Demographic data of patients, tuberculosis localization, drug resistance status, and their relationship with increased foreign immigration were evaluated retrospectively. Tuberculosis patient data were obtained from the Çorum Tuberculosis Dispensary records. Population data for Çorum and the size of the foreign population were acquired from the Turkish Statistical Institute's population statistics portal. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 software. The significance level was accepted as p<0.05 for all statistical analyses. Findings: Among the 502 patients examined between 2014-2023, 479 (95,4%) were Turkish citizens, while 23 (4,6%) were of foreign nationality. Generally, the disease was more prevalent in males and occurred more frequently in the 18-45 age group. The proportion of foreign patients showed a fluctuating trend over the years, with immigrants from countries such as Iraq (60,87%) and Afghanistan (13,04%) representing a significant share of cases. The average ten-year incidence was 8,68 per 100,000 for Turkish citizens and 18 per 100,000 for foreign nationals. General drug resistance was detected in only 1 case among foreign patients (4,3%), while 10 cases were observed among Turkish citizens (2%). The single MDR-TB case (4,3%) in the foreign patient group was classified as a relapse case and was transferred out as a treatment outcome. Conclusion: The increase in foreign immigration affects tuberculosis incidence and particularly the drug resistance profile. Access to healthcare services should be ensured for foreign nationals. Our findings provide important information to enhance the effectiveness of tuberculosis control programs and improve health services for the immigrant population.