Strategies and practices of tuberculosis preventive treatment for latent tuberculosis infection in Huzhou City
REN Feilin1, YANG Zhongrong1, SUN Xiuxiu1, ZHANG Sichao1, JIN Meihua1, SHEN Jianyong1, DING Zhongming1, WEN Dong2, ZHENG Pingming2, ZHANG Peng1
1. Huzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, China; 2. Huzhou Municipal Health Commission, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, China
Abstract：The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that tuberculosis preventive treatment is a key measure for ending the tuberculosis epidemic. In 2023, Huzhou City initiated the construction of Zero Tuberculosis City based on the pilot program of Zero Tuberculosis Communities in Zhejiang Province, and established a three-level tuberculosis preventive treatment system for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) at the municipal, county (district), and township (subdistrict) levels. Strategies including formulating standards and norms, promoting preventive treatment clinics at all levels, improving staffing and clarifying work responsibilities were implemented to strengthen active intervention and management of LTBI and improve the standardization of preventive treatment. From 2023 to 2024, a total of 27 535 individuals tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in Huzhou City. The acceptance rate of preventive treatment was 34.82%, and the completion rate was 57.89%. During follow-up, the incidence density of active pulmonary tuberculosis among MTB-positive individuals who did not receive preventive treatment was 393.83/105 person-years, while that among individuals who received preventive treatment but interrupted treatment was 293.83/105 person-years, and that among individuals who received and completed preventive treatment was 46.08/105 person-years. Practices have shown that the LTBI preventive treatment system constructed in Huzhou City features strong accessibility and high operability, which has effectively expanded the coverage of interventions for high-risk groups, significantly reduced the risk of active pulmonary tuberculosis among MTB-positive individuals, and provided a replicable and promotable practical paradigm for LTBI prevention and control nationwide. In the future, Huzhou City will continue to rely on the primary medical and health network to optimize the whole-process standardized management of LTBI, leverage smart prevention and control technologies, optimize diagnosis and treatment services and cross-regional linkage mechanisms, continuously consolidate the achievements of the Zero Tuberculosis City initiative, steadily reduce the regional tuberculosis epidemic, and contribute to the achievement of the strategic goal of ending the tuberculosis epidemic.
