[Effect of a tuberculosis program on the decrease of annual risk of infection]. / Influencia de un programa de tuberculosis en el descenso del riesgo anual de infección.

The objective of this paper is to inform about the experience obtained in the development of a tuberculosis programme in a Health Centre over a two year period: from November 1985 to November 1987. 147 families were researched, the total number of persons researched being 755; 74 of them received primary chemoprophylaxis, and 244 of them received secondary chemoprophylaxis. The number of persons given treatment was 38. The prevalence shown in 6.5 year old age group went from 3% in 1985 to 1.3% in 1987, calculating the AIR (Annual Infection Risk) at 0.19 and a drop in the AIR of 45%. Most notable in the discussion is the importance of the annual tuberculin screening of school children in their first year of Basic Education. The results are analysed, and those causes which may distort the results are eliminated and then they are compared with those obtained from other studies. The conclusion can be made, on the basis of the results obtained, that the implementation of the programme has had a significant influence on the decline in the prevalence of infection and in the Annual Infection Risk.