Distribution of bacteriologically positive and bacteriologically negative pulmonary tuberculosis in Northwest China: spatiotemporal analysis

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a major health issue in Northwest China. Most previous studies on the spatiotemporal patterns of PTB considered all PTB cases as a whole; they did not distinguish notified bacteriologically positive PTB (BP-PTB) and notified bacteriologically negative PTB (BN-PTB). Thus, the spatiotemporal characteristics of notified BP-PTB and BN-PTB are still unclear. A retrospective county-level spatial epidemiological study (2011–2018) was conducted in Shaanxi, Northwest China. In total, 44,894 BP-PTB cases were notified, with an average annual incidence rate of 14.80 per 100,000 persons between 2011 and 2018. Global Moran’s I values for notified BP-PTB ranged from 0.19 to 0.49 (P < 0.001). Anselin’s local Moran’s I analysis showed that the high–high (HH) cluster for notified BP-PTB incidence was mainly located in the southernmost region. The primary spatiotemporal cluster for notified BP-PTB (LLR = 612.52, RR = 1.77, P < 0.001) occurred in the central region of the Guanzhong Plain in 2011. In total, 116,447 BN-PTB cases were notified, with an average annual incidence rate of 38.38 per 100,000 persons between 2011 and 2018. Global Moran’s I values for notified BN-PTB ranged from 0.39 to 0.69 (P < 0.001). The HH clusters of notified BN-PTB were mainly located in the north between 2011 and 2014 and in the south after 2015. The primary spatiotemporal cluster for notified BN-PTB (LLR = 1084.59, RR = 1.85, P < 0.001) occurred in the mountainous areas of the southernmost region from 2014 to 2017. Spatiotemporal clustering of BP-PTB and BN-PTB was detected in the poverty-stricken mountainous areas of Shaanxi, Northwest China. Our study provides evidence for intensifying PTB control activities in these geographical clusters.