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. 2007 Aug;13(8):1189-94.
doi: 10.3201/eid1308.051327.

High prevalence of tuberculosis in previously treated patients, Cape Town, South Africa

Saskia den Boon  1 , Schalk W P van Lill, Martien W Borgdorff, Donald A Enarson, Suzanne Verver, Eric D Bateman, Elvis Irusen, Carl J Lombard, Neil W White, Christine de Villiers, Nulda Beyers
Affiliations

High prevalence of tuberculosis in previously treated patients, Cape Town, South Africa

Saskia den Boon et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Aug.

Abstract

The tuberculosis (TB) notification rate is high and increasing in 2 communities in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2002, we conducted a prevalence survey among adults > or = 15 years of age to determine the TB prevalence rate; 15% of households in these communities were randomly sampled. All persons living in sampled households were eligible for chest radiography and sputum examination. Of the 3,483 adults who completed a questionnaire, 2,608 underwent chest radiography and sputum examination. We detected 26 bacteriologically confirmed TB cases and a prevalence of 10.0/1,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.2-13.8 per 1,000). We found 18 patients with smear-positive TB, of whom 8 were new patients (3.1/1,000, 95% CI 0.9-5.1/1,000). More than half of patients with smear-positive TB (10, 56%) had previously been treated. Such patients may contribute to transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the high TB prevalence rate. Successful treatment of TB patients must be a priority.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Sample selection of 3,483 adults, Cape Town, South Africa, for the study.
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References

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