Prevalence and Determinants of Tube rculousis Infection in Children in Bale Region
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Date
1989-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The determination ot t~e prevel ence of tuberculosis infection within
age groups and the relation of lnfection to factors unde r study, i,e.,
previous BeG vaccination, raw milk consumption, and intimate exposure to
cattle were evaluated in a cross-sectlcnal community-based tuberculin skin
test survey, and case-control analysis of the relation of infection to the
factors under study 1n Mendeyo Awraja, Bale region (south-east Ethiopia),
in chi ldren 5 months to 15 years ot age. A ~urvey cons i st i ng of an
interviev/, examination of BeG scar on the right shoulder, and tuberculin
skin testing and reading was conductea on 1892 children, 1dentified by
systematic household survey from ten randomly selected peasant Vl I lages in
Mendeyo Awraja.
Out of the total 1892 children surveyed 1002 (53%) were males and
890 (47%) were females. 1028 (54.3%) had a BeG scar and 864 (45.7%) had
no BeG scar; the prevalence of tuberculosis infection in these groups was
11 . 8% and 15.3% respect i ve 1 y . The overall .prevalence of tubercu los is
infection was 13.4%. The mean age of the surveyed children was 6 years.
Prevalence of infection was lew in infants and children under 5 years of
age and increases with age, being high in 12 to 15 years old. There was a
significant association between infection and previous non-BeG
vaccination, and intimate exposure to cattle, as determined by chi square
statistics (p < . 05 ) . There was no slgnificant association between
infection and ra\'~ CO';J'S milk consumption (p > .05).The avera!(e alm":1-l risK of illt'ection as calcuLlted from the r esults of' the
study in non-vaccinated ch~laren "'as 2.73%. InCidence of smear-positive
pulmonary tuberculosis cases Has calculated to be about 337 cases per
290) 000 population (the set tIed awraja) s population). The study has
enabled us to determine the annual risk of infection and incidence of
smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases in the community (awraja).
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Keywords
Prevalence, Determinants