Policy and programmatic directions for the Lesotho tuberculosis programme: Findings of the national tuberculosis prevalence survey, 2019

Introduction
The Kingdom of Lesotho has one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis (TB) in the world. A national TB prevalence survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB disease among those ≥15 years of age in 2019.
Method
A multistage cluster-based cross-sectional survey where residents ≥15 years in 54 clusters sampled from across the country were eligible to participate. Survey participants were screened using a symptom screen questionnaire and digital chest X-ray (CXR). Respondents who acknowledged cough of any duration, fever, weight loss, night sweats and/or had any CXR abnormality in the lungs were asked to provide two spot sputum specimens. All sputum testing was conducted at the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL), where samples underwent Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (1st sample) and MGIT culture (2nd sample). HIV counselling and testing was offered to all survey participants. TB cases were those with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex..., Method: A multistage cluster-based cross-sectional survey where residents ≥15 years in 54 clusters sampled from across the country were eligible to participate. Survey participants were screened using a symptom screen questionnaire and digital chest X-ray (CXR). Respondents who acknowledged cough of any duration, fever, weight loss, night sweats and/or had any CXR abnormality in the lungs were asked to provide two spot sputum specimens. All sputum testing was conducted at the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL), where samples underwent Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (1st sample) and MGIT culture (2nd sample). HIV counselling and testing were offered to all survey participants. TB cases were those with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex-positive samples with culture; and where culture was not positive, Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) was positive with a CXR suggestive of active TB and no current or prior history of TB.
Result: A total of 39,902 individuals were enumerated, and of these, 26,85..., Stata

研究背景
莱索托王国是全球结核病（Tuberculosis, TB）负担最为沉重的国家之一。2019年，该国开展了全国结核病患病率调查，旨在估算15岁及以上人群中经细菌学确认的肺结核疾病患病率。

研究方法
本研究采用多阶段整群横断面调查设计，从全国范围内抽取54个调查群，所有居住于该群内的15岁及以上居民均符合参与条件。调查对象通过症状筛查问卷与数字化胸部X线摄影（digital chest X-ray, CXR）完成初筛。若受访者自述存在任意时长的咳嗽、发热、体重减轻、盗汗，或肺部存在X线异常，则需提供两份即时痰标本。所有痰检工作均在国家结核病参考实验室（National TB Reference Laboratory, NTRL）完成，第一份标本接受Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra检测，第二份标本接受MGIT培养检测。所有调查对象均可获得艾滋病咨询与检测服务。结核病病例定义为：培养检测呈结核分枝杆菌复合群（Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex）阳性的样本；若培养结果为阴性，则需同时满足Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra（Xpert Ultra）检测阳性、胸部X线提示活动性结核病，且无当前或既往结核病病史。

研究结果
本研究共完成39902名个体的登记，其中2685[原文内容未完整呈现]，数据采用Stata软件进行分析。