Prevalence of tuberculosis infection in Melbourne secondary school students

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of asymptomatic Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in Melbourne secondary school students. Design: Cross-sectional Mantoux testing of a partly random and partly targeted sample of secondary school students, designed to enable estimation of prevalence by region of birth. Setting: fifty-one State and Catholic secondary schools in metropolitan Melbourne during 1995. Participants: Australian and overseas-born students in Years 9 and 10. Outcome measures: Proportions of students with positive Mantoux reactions (defined as induration at 48 hours of ≤ 5 mm with a history of recent exposure; ≤ 10 mm and no prior BCG vaccination; ≤ 15 mm and prior BCG vaccinati..