Survey of the role of prevalence of tuberculosis and HIV in prisons of sari township in 1998-1999

Background and

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic disease with different manifestations and progressive which is still the main health problem and is one of the causes of mortality in the world. Ône third of world population have been infected with T.B. and annualy 8-10 million new cases are added and each year 2-3 million persons die of T.B. infection. Due to outbreak of ÂÏDS, T.B. infection seems to be more severe in this era. Ëstimation of HÏV infection in the world is about 30 million persons, and about 5.6 million persons are infected with both HÏV and T.B. with that in mind, the prevalence of T.B. and HÏV have been reported more in crowded places, such as prisons, that is why this research was designed to estimate the prevalence of the two above mentioned diseases in township.

650 prisoners were tested with 5 units of PPD with the help of insulin syringes by expert technicians. Ând the result was determined after 48-72 hours. Those patients with induration of more than 5 mm. were considered as PPD positive. From the same patients and the patients with fever, loss of weight cough at least for three weeks along with loss of appetite, morning sputum samples were collected. The sputum sample was streaked on Levenson jenson medium, incubated at 37oc for 3 weeks to 2 months, also from the same sample acid fast staining was done. 5 ml of blood was drawn from the patients and was tested for HÏV by ËLÏSÂ method.

From the above 650 prisoners tested for PPD about 83 (12.62%) persons had induration of more than 10 ml and 45 (6.93%) had induration of 5-10 ml and the rest had induration of less than 5 ml. Test on blood and sputum samples of 300 persons was done, after the culture and doing other tests 3 persons (1%) were acid fast positive, and all the samples were HÏV negative. Çonclusion: The low percentage of infection in prisons under study indicate the hygienic condition of prisons and shows that with proper hygienic conditions in prisions the prevalence of T.B. can be brought under control.