Rapid decline in prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis after DOTS implementation in a rural area of South India.

Subramani, R.; Radhakrishna, S.; Frieden, T.R.; Kolappan, C.; Gopi, P.G.; Santha, T.; Wares, F.; Selvakumar, N.; Narayanan, P.R.

International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease; 2008; 12; 916–920.

Abstract: Setting: Tiruvallur District in Tamilnadu, South India, where the World Health Organization-recommended DOTS strategy was implemented as a tuberculosis (TB) control measure in 1999.

Objective: To assess the epidemiological impact of the DOTS strategy on the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

Design: Surveys of PTB were undertaken on representative population samples aged ? 15 years ( n = 83 000–90 000), before and at 2.5 and 5 years after the implementation of the DOTS strategy. The prevalence of PTB (smear-positive/culture-positive) was estimated.

Results: TB prevalence declined by about 50% in 5 years, from 609 to 311 per 100 000 population for culture-positive TB and from 326 to 169/100 000 for smear-positive TB. The annual rate of decline was 12.6% (95%CI 11.2–14.0) for culture-positive TB and 12.3% (95%CI 8.6–15.8) for smear-positive TB. The decline was similar at all ages and for both sexes.

Conclusion: With an effi cient case detection programme and the DOTS strategy, it is feasible to bring about a substantial reduction in the burden of TB in the community.

Keywords: prevalence; community survey; tuberculosis; DOTS; epidemiology

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