[Results of a national tuberculosis survey carried out from 1980 to 1989 in Algeria].
METHODS
Algeria, where mass BCG vaccination is performed at birth, has a high prevalence of tuberculosis.


OBJECTIVE
To measure the scale of the tuberculosis problem and the impact of the National Tuberculosis Control Programme set up in 1972, a tuberculin survey was performed at regular intervals from 1980-1989 in Algeria.


METHODS
The survey took place in the schools of five communities of differing socio-economic levels. During two visits five years apart, respectively 18,960 and 30,738 children aged 8.5 years were tested. During the second visit, 10,301 children aged 12.5 were included in the survey.


RESULTS
The prevalence of infection in children with no scar, non-vaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, was 4.05% in 1980-1984 and 2.71% in 1985-1989. With an annual decrease of 7.8%, the annual risk of tuberculosis infection was 0.34% in 1980-1984 and 0.22% in 1985-1989.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the survey seem to indicate the continued abatement of the tuberculosis problem in the years to come. They also show that tuberculin surveys at regular intervals can be performed in high-prevalence countries where there is mass BCG vaccination at birth.
Amrane
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Ministère de la Santé, El Madania, Alger, Algérie.
D000462:Algeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D002648:Child; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012882:Skin Tests; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
D001500:BCG Vaccine
Résultats de l'enquête tuberculinique nationale realisée de 1980 à 1989 en Algérie.