The rapid village survey in tuberculosis control.
METHODS
Khon Kaen Province, North-East Thailand.


OBJECTIVE
To develop a rapid and cheap method of surveying a population cluster (a village) to establish the prevalence of sputum-positive tuberculosis.


METHODS
Based on previous experience a standardized 'rapid village survey' method was designed and tested. In this method a survey team of health workers is constituted and trained. Before and at the beginning of a visit to a village the population receives information about tuberculosis, and only individuals with chest symptoms are invited to report voluntarily to the survey team for examination. Active tracing of a previously compiled 'list of suspects and contacts' complements the identification of cases. The number of community members to be examined is thus much lower. A cluster sample of the provincial population was made (20,730 people in 40 villages). The population in each village was surveyed first by the Rapid Village Survey method, then, 1 week later, by the conventional method of examining every individual registered in each village.


RESULTS
In the rapid village survey 14 cases of sputum-positive tuberculosis were detected and in the conventional survey 15 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The rapid method produces results comparable to the survey of the total sample population for less than half of the cost.
Elink Schuurman
M W
MW
Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Srisaenpang
S
S
Pinitsoontorn
S
S
Bijleveld
I
I
Vaeteewoothacharn
K
K
Methapat
C
C
D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*