TUBERCULIN SURVEY AMONG FIRST GRADE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SHEBIN EL-KOM AS A TOOL TO DETERMINE THE PREVALENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG THEIR HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS

Abstract

Tuberculosis has been one of the most feared of all respiratory disease. At the beginning of the twentieth century, tuberculosis was as dreaded as AIDS is today. This disease has caused million of deaths since the beginning of human history (Miller, 1995).

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis infection among children and their household contacts. In addition to study, some epidemiological factors related to the occurrence of tuberculosis.

Tuberculin testing remains the standard method for assessing infection due to tuberculosis (Sayed et. al., 1996) .The tuberculin skin test is a simple, inexpensive and sensitive method of diagnosis of infection (Amin, 1994). The currently available tuberculin test are not I 00% sensitive or specific, but no better diagnostic method have yet been devised. These substances present in their cultural extracts called «tuberculin». There are two types of tuberculin, the old tuberculin and the protein-purified derivative (PPD). The latter was used in performing this study by the Mantoux technique. 0.1 ml of PPD tuberculin containing 2 Tu. injected intradermally into the volar surface of the forearm and read 48 - 72 hours after the injection.

The study sample amounted to 550 children. They were chosen randomly from Govermnental primary schools in Shebin El-Kom at Menou.tyia Governorate, Egypt. Tuberculin test was performed for these children. Houses of the tuberculin positive reaction induration 215-mm were visited where tuberculin test was perfonned for their household contacts. A questionnaire was conducted through interview with 20 positive tuberculin reaction then completed with each member of the family and physical assessment was made to 20 families (126 persons).