Concurrent leptospirosis and tuberculosis: An expected incidence in endemic tropical country and rarity of the co-occurrence

Concurrent leptospirosis and tuberculosis: An expected incidence in endemic tropical country and rarity of the co-occurrence: Beuy Joob, Viroj Wiwanitkit



International Journal of Health & Allied Sciences 2020 9(1):92-92



Sir,

Tuberculosis is an important mycobacterial infectious disease. This infection is detectable in several developing countries. In tropical world, there are also other endemic infections. The change that tuberculosis co-occurs with other endemic infection is interesting. Regarding leptospirosis, an important tropical infection, the co-occurrence with tuberculosis is rarely reported. In the previous publication, Iqbal N and Viswanathan^[1] noted for the first case report of co-occurrence between leptospirosis and tuberculosis. Here, the authors performed a clinical epidemiological investigation aiming at explaining the rarity of the concurrence. The setting is Thailand, a tropical country in Southeast Asia. The mathematical model development using the same method as described in the recent publication^[2] is done. The calculation for expected incidence of concurrent leptospirosis and tuberculosis is done. According to the mentioned mathematical modeling technique, the expected incidence can be calculated based on jointed probability principle and the expected incidence is calculated according to this equation. “Expected incidence of concurrent tuberculosis and leptospirosis = incidence of tuberculosis × incidence of leptospirosis.” The primary data from Thai Center of Disease (CDC) Control are referred to. Based on the primary data derived from Thai CDC, the incidence of leptosprisosis and tuberculosis is equal to 9.9/100,000 population and 171/100,000 population, respectively. Therefore, the final expected incidence of concurrent leptosprirosis and tuberculosis is equal to 0.0169/100,000 population or 1.69 patient per ten millions of local people. This can represent an extremely rare nature of the concurrence comparing to other possible concurrence between tuberculosis and other endemic disease such as dengue.^[2] Therefore, the extreme rarity of the concurrence between leptospirosis and tuberculosis can be explained.

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Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.



 

References

1.	Iqbal N, Viswanathan S. Coexisting anicteric leptospirosis and pulmonary tuberculosis in a farmer. Int J Health Allied Sci 2015;4:181-4.     [Full text]
2.	Joob B, Wiwanitkit V. Concurrent dengue and tuberculosis: An estimated incidence in endemic tropical country and explanation for low observed incidence. Biomed Biotechnol Res J 2019;3:111-6.     [Full text]