Childhood tuberculosis in Victoria, 1970-86.

Abstract

With the declining incidence of tuberculosis, childhood tuberculosis has become an uncommon disease in Australia. This study examines tends in childhood tuberculosis in the state of Victoria, Australia, over the period 1970-86. There was a decline in the incidence of pulmonary disease from 2.76 cases per 100,000 population in the period 1970-76 to 1.97 in the period 1980-86 (P less than 0.005). Non-pulmonary tuberculosis continued at a constant rate throughout the 17 year period. During the period of the study, 381 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and 79 cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis (most of which affected lymph nodes) were encountered in a total of 460 cases. Of these, 84 (18%) cases occurred in Indo-Chinese refugees.