Trend in the prevalence of TB infection and ARTI after implementation of a DOTS programme in south India.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection among children <10 years and assess the impact of a DOTS-based programme. SETTING: After DOTS implementation in Tiruvallur district, south India, we undertook three tuberculin surveys and estimated the ARTI among children aged <10 years. RESULTS: The ARTI estimates in the three tuberculin surveys were 1.6%, 1.4% and 1.2%, respectively. There was a significant decline in the trend of TB infection (P < 0.001). The annual decline estimated from the first to the third survey was 6%. CONCLUSION: DOTS implementation was associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of TB infection among children.