The epidemic of childhood tuberculosis in China

Objective To analyze the epidemic situation of children Tuberculosis (TB) in China.Methods To sum up the data of four times national TB epidemic survey from 1979 to 2000, and analyze the epidemic situation of children whose age were between 0 and 14. Results The TB prevalence rates in children were 8 8%, 9 6%, 7 5% and 9 0% in 1979, 1984/85, 1990, 2000. The active pulmonary TB(PTB) prevalence rates in children were 241 7/100 000 172 1/100 000, 91 8/100 000 in 1979, 1990 and 2000, the bacteriological positive PTB prevalence rates were 12 7/100 000, 12 3/100 000 in 1990 and 2000, the smear positive PTB prevalence rates were 7 5/100 000, 7 5/100 000 and 6 7/100 000 in 1979, 1990 and 2000; It was estimated there were 26 08 million children who were infected by microbacterial TB, 266 thousands children active PTB cases, 36 thousands children bacteriological positive PTB cases and 19 thousands children smear positive PTB cases in 2000 according to the data of the national population survey. the rates were 4 5%, 5 9%, 1 8%, 1 3% when comparing them to the all patients. the ratio of children TB prevalence rates between city and country were 1 8,1 8,1 7 and 1 2 in the four survey. Conclusions The TB prevalence rates in children had not obvious decrease from 1979 to 2000 were not allowed to optimize to the epidemic of children TB. The bacteriological negative PTB had a bigger. The difference of children TB prevalance between city and country reduced gradually. The quantity of sample and other factors influenced the forecast value of PPD to disease, so it would be a trend of using the routine surveillance to replace the national epidemic survey. BCG still would be the an important content in our national TB control before the emergence of the new and more efficient vaccine.