LATENT TUBERCULOSIS;

JAIL AS A RISK FACTOR

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the degree to which Latent Tuberculosis exist among long–term inmates in jail. Study Design:
Prospective Cohort Analytic Experimental Quantitative Data. Setting and Period: Jails at Bahawalpur between 2009-2010. Methods: We
monitored the Mountex Test of prisoners within 48 to 72 h and those who were 10 mm or more were considered positive and for HIV positive 5
mm criteria were set to declare positive. Group 1-who were in jail for more than a year and those, Group- 2-who were in jail for less than one
month. Data was collected on a proforma. Each prisoner had thorough clinical examination with detailed clinical history and Chest X-ray.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. All those prisoners who never had tuberculosis in past. 2. All those prisoners who were not on Anti Tuberculous Therapy.
3. All those prisoner whose chest x ray was normal and had no symptoms of tuberculosis. Exclusion Criteria: 1. All those who had tuberculosis
in past or were on antituberculous treatment currently. 2. All those who were having chronic cough. Results: Total number of prisoners in group
1 were 298 and number of prisoners in group 2 were 128. Latent tuberculosis was found in total of 31(10.40%) of prisoners in group 1 and none
of prisoners in group 2 were having latent tuberculosis. Conclusions: Jail inmates for more than 1 year did show more numbers of latent
tuberculosis patients than the new inmates. These results suggest that the close contacts harbor the live tubercle bacilli and in future they may
convert into active cases.