A survey of tuberculosis prevalence in Hanoi, Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2003/2004.

METHODS

A random selection was carried out involving 11624 subjects from 20 communes within the city.

RESULTS

On chest X-ray examination, 317 subjects (2.73%) showed abnormal lung opacity, of which 17 were sputum smear-positive, two concentrated smear-positive and three culture-positive, all with active TB. The prevalence of sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB was 146 per 100000 in persons aged >or=15 years (95%CI 65-228).

CONCLUSION

This is the first large-scale assessment of the prevalence of TB in Hanoi. The prevalence rate was higher than expected, suggesting that a significant number of patients with active TB, particularly females, remain undiagnosed, thus representing a continuing potential source of transmission in the community.