The prevalence of tuberculosis infection among Year 8 schoolchildren in inner Sydney in 1992.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) infection in Year 8 schoolchildren (aged 12-14 years) in Sydney.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
22 inner city Sydney secondary schools.


METHODS
2290 Year 8 school children enrolled in 1992.


METHODS
Distribution of Mantoux test reaction size and proportion of children who were Mantoux positive (i.e., having Mantoux reaction > or = 15 mm with previous Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination; > or = 10 mm without).


RESULTS
Of the 2290 children, 1836 (81%) were screened and 1801 Mantoux reactions were read. Ten per cent of children were Mantoux positive--27% of foreign-born children and 2% of Australian-born children (relative risk 16.7, 95% confidence interval 10.6-26.4). Two children were found to have active TB disease.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a high prevalence of primary (non-contagious) TB infection in children aged 12-14 years in inner Sydney, mostly confined to children born overseas. Thus there is a large pool of infected children at risk of developing active (contagious) adult-type TB disease in the future. This public health problem should be addressed by identification and treatment of those infected.
Alperstein
G
G
Community Health Services, Camperdown, NSW.
Fett
M J
MJ
Reznik
R
R
Thomas
M
M
Senthil
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D006801:Humans; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014504:Urban Health