@article{oai:nagasaki-u.repo.nii.ac.jp:00028023,
 author = {Lu, Yixiao and Cai, Guoxi and Arima, Kazuhiko and He, Fei and Zheng, Zejun and Qin, Liang and Aoyagi, Kiyoshi},
 issue = {2},
 journal = {Acta medica Nagasakiensia},
 month = {Mar},
 note = {Background: Japan has remained medium-burden tuberculosis (TB) country for many years. However, a considerable variation was observed in the TB space-time distribution among Japan’s eight regions. This study aimed to investigate the spatial, temporal, and space-time dynamics of TB at the machi-level in Nagasaki prefecture.
Methods: Data on the reported TB infections from 2007 to 2018 were collected from the information center for infectious diseases of the Nagasaki Prefectural Institute of Environment and Public Health. The time series, temporal trends, and spatial patterns of TB at the machi-level were explored using Moran’s I and Kulldorff’s space-time scan statistics.
Results: A total of 4,364 TB infections were reported between April 2007 and December 2018 in Nagasaki prefecture. The infections were frequently reported in October, June, and January, and they showed spatial clustering with Moran’s I value ranging from 0.07 to 0.17 (p = 0.001). Ten significant clusters were identified, including one most likely cluster and nine secondary clusters, which were mainly concentrated in the densely inhabited districts of the two biggest cities in Nagasaki prefecture (Nagasaki city and Sasebo city), Shimabara peninsula, and Iki island.
Conclusion: This study showed significant and unique spatial-temporal characteristics of TB infections in Nagasaki prefecture. Therefore, such information on the prevailing epidemiological situation of TB infections could help develop strategies that could effectively eliminate TB in Japan., Acta medica Nagasakiensia, 66(2), pp.41-49; 2023},
 pages = {41--49},
 title = {Spatial-temporal analysis of tuberculosis infections in a rural prefecture in Japan},
 volume = {66},
 year = {2023}
}