Tuberculosis Exposure among Evacuees at a Shelter after Earthquake, Japan, 2011

Hajime Kanamori

, Noboru Aso, Satoko Tadano, Miyoko Saito¹, Hiroo Saito, Bine Uchiyama, Noriomi Ishibashi, Shinya Inomata, Shiro Endo, Tetsuji Aoyagi, Masumitsu Hatta, Mitsuhiro Yamada, Yoshiaki Gu, Koichi Tokuda, Hisakazu Yano, Hiroyuki Kunishima, Yoichi Hirakata, Takao Saijyo², Miho Kitagawa, and Mitsuo Kaku

Author affiliations: Miyagi Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Kurihara, Japan (H. Kanamori, N. Aso, H. Saito, B. Uchiyama, Y. Hirakata); Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan (H. Kanamori, H. Saito, N. Ishibashi, S. Inomata, S. Endo, T. Aoyagi, M. Hatta, M. Yamada, Y. Gu, K. Tokuda, H. Yano, H. Kunishima, M. Kitagawa, M. Kaku); Miyagi Prefectural Government Kesennuma Public Health Center, Kesennuma, Japan (S. Tadano, M. Saito, T. Saijyo)

Abstract

Tuberculosis was diagnosed in a person who had stayed in a shelter after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. A contact investigation showed that the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection among other evacuees at the shelter was 20%. Our report underscores the importance of tuberculosis prevention and control after natural disasters.

In the aftermath of the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami, many survivors were forced to live in shelters under harsh and unsanitary conditions. The occurrence and outbreaks of infectious diseases at shelters after the earthquake were of concern because conducting standard precautions was difficult and access to health care was poor. Influenza outbreaks and an increase in pneumonia cases in shelters were reported after the earthquake (1,2), and infection control activities were required to support shelters in efforts to minimize infectious diseases (3). We report a case of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in a person who stayed at a shelter after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the results of an investigation of the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among evacuees and others who were exposed to this patient.