[Tuberculosis tracing in Moroccan immigrants].
BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis has reappeared in developed countries, and Spain is no exception. The aim of this study is to find out the degree of prevalence of tuberculosis infection and the rate of tuberculosis infection in a shanty town occupied by Moroccan immigrants.


METHODS
Using one case of active pulmonary tuberculosis in a Moroccan citizen, immigrant and resident in a settlement of slums, a contact study was undertaken with the collaboration of social workers and a Moroccan sociologist who lived in the same shanty town, who acted as interpreter. A tuberculosis test was carried out applying PPD in the Health Centre, to 80% of the residents, offering an extremely flexible timetable and no bureaucratic red tape. The inoculations, records and Mantoux readings were performed by two nurses at the Health Centre.


RESULTS
Mantoux cover was 83.3%. The proportion with a tuberculosis infection was 77.7%; five cases were diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis (13.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
The rate of tuberculosis found (77.7%) is considerably higher than other findings published with respect to other fringe groups living in Spain (30%).
Palomo Pinto
M
M
Centro de Salud de Majadahonda, Madrid.
Rodríguez Martín-Millares
C
C
Ayerbe Mateo-Sagasta
T
T
D000328:Adult; D016358:Contact Tracing; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco / Q000208:ethnology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission