High prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in the indigenous population of Puerto Nariño, Colombian Amazonia

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health challenge, disproportionately impacting vulnerable groups, particularly indigenous populations. Objetive To investigate the epidemiological behavior of TB among the indigenous communities in Puerto Nariño, Amazonas. Materials and Methods Descriptive cross-sectional study across 23 indigenous communities, employing an active case-finding approach through house-to-house medical consultations. Respiratory symptomatic (RS) individuals, defined as those with a cough of any duration, were identified and assessed. Diagnostic evaluations included serial sputum smear microscopy and cultures using MGIT™ liquid and Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) solid media. Cultures identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex underwent drug susceptibility testing for first-line anti-TB medications. Confirmed TB cases were reported to the healthcare system. The study excluded non-indigenous individuals from the analysis and categorized cases by age. The indigenous communities and TB cases were geographically mapped. Results Of the population examined, 95% (5,837 individuals) were indigenous, with 16.7% (972/5837) identified as RS. Seventy-six TB cases were diagnosed, with childhood TB accounting for 43.4% of the cases. MGIT™ cultures were positive in all TB cases, and 18.2% (6/33) of children under 15 had positive sputum smears. Notably, one case of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) was reported in a child. Conclusions The prevalence of TB was almost 50 times higher in the indigenous, than in the general Colombian population according to official reports. The findings highlight a critical public health concern, with TB prevalence significantly higher among indigenous populations in Puerto Nariño compared to the general Colombian population. Targeted interventions are urgently needed to address this disparity.