Abstracts and presentations in Scientific meetings

Summary of Presentations in Meetings

Creation of an NIH-funded binational research consortium to study DR- and MDR-TB transmission between South Texas and northeast Mexico.  Restrepo BI, SP Fisher-Hoch, JB McCormick, Smith B, López-Leal, F, Graviss E, Rendon A. and the Texas-Mexico TB consortium. 8th Annual International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUTLD) NAR.  Austin, Tx.  February 26-28, 2004 US institutions: UTHSC-Houston-Brownsville Campus, Texas Department of Health, Health Departments of Hidalgo, Cameron and Laredo, UTHSC-San Antonio, Baylor College of Medicine. Mexican institutions: Secretaría de Salud and Jurisidicciones Sanitarias III-V, Tamaulipas, and Univ Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey.

The Texas-Mexico border has a higher incidence of TB, including drug-resistant (DR) and MDR cases, compared with national rates in US or Mexico. An impediment to effective and directed strategies for TB control in this highly mobile population is lack of comprehensive, real time data, and absence of instruments tailored for detailed tracing of transmission in this complex and unique society. Methods: A binational TB consortium of 40 individuals from the academic and public health sectors of South Texas and northeast Mexico recently obtained NIH funding to consolidate the consortium, collect data and conduct pilot research projects aimed at understanding DR and MDR transmission across the Texas-Mexico border. At the first official meeting in November 2003, the structure of the consortium was defined, responsibilities delineated, and work groups established to conduct specific tasks. Preliminary Findings: The consortium agreed to complete a retrospective analysis of TB transmission between 1996-2002 both sides of the border, including socio-demographic, clinical, microbiologic and genotyping information. Data will be standardized, merged, and added to a geocoded database, and will be used to estimate the extent and describe the nature of transmission between Mexico and the US. These retrospective studies will provide the foundation for prospective collection and real time analysis of homogeneous data. A pilot social network analysis in these communities will provide detailed information about transmission dynamics across the border. A training program for Mexican colleagues will ensure standardized techniques for isolation and genotyping and build capacity in the region. Conclusion. We present a novel approach to binational TB control through the creation of a working research consortium comprised of key individuals from the public health and academic sectors in both countries, supported through federal grants, and applying new research techniques to enhance public health.