Prevalence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis among the Elderly- An Observation from a Rural Province of Thailand

Abstract

Tuberculosis is an important clinical problem worldwide in many countries in Asia. A high incidence of tuberculosis exists in Indochina. Some specific populations including the elderly, have a higher probability of getting infected. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis among elderly population in rural district of Thailand, a tropical country in Indochina. According to the study, all 22,033 Thai elderly in this area were screened for tuberculosis. Of these cases, there were 39 infected cases (prevalence rate = 0.18%, 95% CI: 0.13% - 0.24%). In conclusion, tuberculosis is common among Thai elderly in this setting.