Results of tuberculosis contact tracing: Blackburn 1982-90.
Between 1982 and 1990, 649 index cases of tuberculosis were seen of which 429 (66.1%) were of Indian Subcontinent (ISC) ethnic origin: 7017 close contacts of these cases were screened, 50 cases of tuberculosis were detected (7.7% of notifications) and 372 children given chemoprophylaxis. All cases of tuberculosis detected in the white ethnic group were contacts of smear-positive pulmonary disease, six (46%) found at initial screening, five (38%) at 1 year and one (8%) at 2 year follow-up. Of 37 cases detected in the ISC ethnic group, only 14 (38%) were contacts of smear-positive disease, 17 (46%) being contacts of other respiratory disease, and six (16%) contacts of non-respiratory disease. Eighteen (49%) of ISC cases detected were at initial screening, with six (16%), eight (22%) and three (8%), respectively, at 6 month, 1 year and 2 year follow-up. The results support the revised Joint Tuberculosis Committee advice on contact tracing, with differential contact programmes depending on type of disease and ethnic group of index cases.
Chest Clinic, Blackburn, Lancs, U.K.
L P
LP
Ormerod
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000379:methods*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000382:microbiology