EPIDEMIOLOGY <<Back
 
 
001
TUBERCULIN SENSITIVITY IN YOUNG CHILDREN (0-4 YEARS OLD) AS AN INDEX OF TUBERCULOSIS IN THE COMMUNITY.
NL Bordia, Anton Geser, J Maclary, I Mundt & Kul Bhushan: Indian J TB 1960, 8, 25-43.

The purpose of this study was to find out whether the prevalence of infection in young children might be used as an index of the tuberculosis problem in a population. Tuberculin testing was done in a random sample of 2,883 children (0-4 years) in Bangalore city, of those 2,589 (89.8%) actually completed testing. A total of 4340 children were registered in 59 villages and of these 4090 (94.2%) were tuberculin tested. The villages were from Bangalore, Kolar and Mandya as these districts were within 100 miles from Bangalore city. The team went from house to house and made a complete registration of the children 0-4 years in the selected houses. Information on socio-economic status, density of population etc., was also collected before giving tuberculin 1 TU RT 23 with Tween 80.

The results of the study showed that prevalence of infection in 0-4 years age group of cantonment area was 1.6% and in the crowded city area 4.1% at 14mm induration level. In the rural population, the prevalence of tuberculosis infection was 2%. In the city, a positive correlation between tuberculosis infection and socio-economic condition was obtained while it was not seen in rural areas. It was not possible to establish any correlation between tuberculosis disease and infection either in rural or urban areas, as the population was not examined for the prevalence of tuberculosis disease.

KEY WORDS: PREVALENCE, INFECTION, CHILDREN, RURAL, URBAN, COMMUNITY.

006
SOME ASPECTS OF A TB PREVALENCE SURVEY IN A SOUTH INDIAN DISTRICT
Raj Narain, A Geser, MV Jambunathan & M Subramanian: Bull WHO 1963, 29, 641-64 & Indian J TB 1963, 9, 85-116.

The objective was to establish the prevalence rates for tuberculosis infection, radiologically active pulmonary tuberculosis and bacteriologically confirmed diseases for different age and sex groups. Tumkur District in Mysore State consisting of 2,392 villages, 10 towns of was selected for the study. The district headquarter town Tumkur was excluded from the survey. Random sample of 62 villages and 4 town blocks having a population of 34,746 persons constituted the study population. All the individuals available in the registered population were given a Mantoux test with 1 TU RT 23 with Tween 80. Longitudinal diameter of induration was read 3-4 days after the test. At the time of tuberculin test, all persons aged 10 years and above were offered a single 70mm photofluorogram. For each picture read as abnormal, a spot specimen of sputum of the individual concerned was collected at the time of reading the tuberculin test. Age and sex distribution of infection and disease were studied.

Various parameters concerning the prevalence of infection and disease in the community were reported. Prevalence rate of infection in all ages and both sexes of the population was found to be 38.3%, radiologically active tuberculosis 1.86% and 0.41% sputum positive disease. The infection and disease increased with age; of the total diseased, half were in age group 40 years and more and about 2/3 among males.

KEY WORDS: SURVEY, PREVALENCE, INFECTION, DISEASE, CASE, COMMIUNITY, RURAL, URBAN.

032
REPORT ON THE FIRST AND SECOND PASSIVE FOLLOW-UPS OF CHILD POPULATION IN 0-14 YEARS AGE GROUP IN A SLUM AREA OF BANGALORE
S Dwarakanath, Sukant Singh and R Rajalakshmi: NTI Newsletter 1977, 14, 97-104.

The findings of the two follow-ups conducted passively, in a slum area of Bangalore city, each at an interval of one year, are presented here. The objectives of the follow-ups were to study the migration, episodes of sickness and health status of sick people of initial survey over a period of time in the pediatric age group. The information was collected by two ways: (1) by visiting each house to collect information on sickness among them during the preceding year as per the questionnaire. (2) Going through the records of the Area Health Centre about various morbidities among the residents of the area pertaining to symptoms, diagnosis and treatment during any year noted.

Migration had occurred upto 7% in 0-9 year age group within first year and no migration during second year in 0-4 year age group. Out of 400 children belonging to 0-14 years, had symptoms related to respiratory system. In all, 5 children were diagnosed as case of active primary tuberculosis, non-e died in two years and one had persistent respiratory symptoms. Hospital records showed that only 1 out of 5 had attended any health facility with respiratory symptoms. The usefulness of passive follow-up without clinical investigations as a tool, needs to be reviewed. Most of the symptomatics do not go to hospital. Diagnosis cannot be arrived at by passive follow-up. It may be necessary to decrease the interval of follow-ups if it is desired to get precise idea on frequency of episodes of sickness, as most of the sicknesses are forgotten by the population with passage of time.

KEY WORDS: PASSIVE FOLLOW-UP, URBAN, SLUM COMMUNITY, CHILDREN, SICKNESS, MIGRATION.
 
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