Screening for Latent and Active Tuberculosis in Paediatric Contacts of Tuberculosis Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate suggests that, one million cases of Tuberculosis (TB) occur among children (approximate 10% of the total 9.6 million TB cases). As per Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), high importance and priority is given to the household contacts and paediatric age group (especially 0.05 as significant and p-value <0.001 as highly significant. Results: A total of 82 contacts were included. Out of these, 60 children had no organ system involvement, whilst 11 had lymphadenopathy, five had respiratory involvement and six had abdominal involvement. Out of 82 contacts, 23 children tested Mantoux positive and 59 tested negative. Out of 23 Mantoux positive contacts 16 (19.51%) had latent TB and only 1 (2.44%) had active TB. Conclusion: A significant number of children in contact with TB positive patients were found to have latent TB, and it is possible that, there can be activation from latent to active TB later on in these children.

Keywords

• extrapulmonary
• isoniazid
• mantoux
• paucibacillary
• pulmonary