Risk Factors Affecting the Development of Tuberculosis Infection and Disease in Household Contacts of Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of tuber­culosis and factors effecting development of tuberculosis in household contact individuals with pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

Methods: The total number of recorded in-house contacts of 153 pulmo­nary tuberculosis patients was 625 patients came to control and were do­cumented for treatment and follow up in Istanbul Eyup Tuberculosis Dis­pensary between January 2001 and December 2002.

Results: Tuberculosis was detected in 35 (5.6%) household contacts. The incidence of tuberculosis in household contacts was found to be related with the presence of cavity in tuberculosis patient (7.4% in patients with cavity, and 2.6% in patients without cavity, p<0.05). Mean TST positivity ra­te of household contacts under 15 years old was higher in cases whose index case had cavity and positive sputum AFB than cases whose index case had no cavity and negative sputum AFB (p<0.05).

Conclusion: These household contacts with pulmonary tuberculosis pati­ents having cavity and smear positive, are the most risky group for tuber­culosis contamination, and are the easiest group to detect tuberculosis. Close follow up of household contacts of such patients for tuberculosis is important for tuberculosis