[Tubercular infection and its trend among school children in the population of the Barcelona suburbs].
BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis infection is a suitable method to evaluate a community tuberculosis endemic. The calculation of infection indexes (incidence, prevalence, year risk and their decline) have been used to analyze this endemic and ist tendency during 22 years in a suburbial city.


METHODS
Practice of the tuberculin test (Mantowx) to almost the totality of schoolchildren during the academic years. 1968-69, 1980-81 and 1981-82; and 1989-90 and 1990-91 as well. During the years 1981-82 and 1990-91, the test was repeated in a sample of schoolchildren to detect the reaction converters (incidence of infection).


RESULTS
The prevalence of tuberculosis infection is very high (7.5% in the first primary school year and 15.2% in the 8th primary school year during 1968-69, and decreases to 5.1% and 11.7% during 1980-82 was 2.6% and 1.5% in 1989-91. The decline of the infection risk is very low: about 6% during the whole period, and it is higher: 9%, in its second part.


CONCLUSIONS
The high tuberculosis can be related to the population social deficiencies. The favourable tendency observed, during the last ten years, can be attributed to an improvement in the health care and, specifically, in the treatment of patients of tuberculosis.
Alcaide Megías
J
J
Centro de Prevención y Control de la Tuberculosis, Barcelona.
Altet Gómez
M N
MN
Taberner Zaragoza
J L
JL
Salleras Sanmartí
L
L
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012574:Schools; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
La infección tuberculosa y su tendencia en los escolares de una población del extrarradio de Barcelona.