Skip to main content
PMC home page
Bulletin of the World Health Organization logoLink to Bulletin of the World Health Organization
. 1959;21(1):5–49.

Epidemiological basis of tuberculosis eradication in an advanced country

E Groth-Petersen, Jørgen Knudsen, Erik Wilbek
PMCID: PMC2537810  PMID: 13829735

Abstract

The first section of the report provides a background for the long-range epidemiological studies being conducted by the Danish Tuberculosis Index. An outline is given of the main indices of tuberculosis and the changing tuberculosis situation in Denmark during the past several decades with respect to prevalence of infection, morbidity and mortality. Difficulties encountered in international comparisons are briefly discussed. The prevalence of tuberculous infection in children and the prevalence of bacillary cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults are suggested as the most valuable indices of eradication.

The second section describes the nation-wide mass campaign of 1950-52, which was planned and conducted as a combined service and research programme under the direction of the Danish Tuberculosis Index. With a view to the follow-up studies, details are given of the results of tuberculin tests of the unvaccinated, the documented vaccinated and mixed groups in the population examined. A survey is made of the results of X-ray examination and of the relation between vaccination status, tuberculin reaction and X-ray findings.

The results of the first follow-up period are analysed in the final section of the report in terms of new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis appearing in the adult population. Seventy-five per cent of the new cases appeared among the unvaccinated tuberculin-positive population, and among this population groups of persons with widely different risks of developing tuberculosis could be identified on the basis of X-ray findings and reactions to the intradermal 10 TU tuberculin test. A proposal is made to reduce the number of routine repetitive examinations for adults and to concentrate efforts on preventive measures for the high-risk groups.

Full text

PDF
47

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BIRKHAUSER H. Funf weitere Falle von Morbus Boeck-artigen Lasionen nach BCG-Impfung. Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1957 Nov 23;87(47):1434–1439. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BRONDSTED H. V. Foetale hjernemisdannelser forårsagft af milieuet in utero via moderen. Ugeskr Laeger. 1958 Jan 2;120(1):1–10. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. COCHRANE A. L., COX J. G., JARMAN T. F. A follow-up chest x-ray survey in the Rhondda Fach. I. Pulmonary tuberculosis. Br Med J. 1955 Feb 12;1(4910):371–378. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.4910.371. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. COCHRANE A. L., JARMAN T. F., MIALL W. E. Factors influencing the attack rate of pulmonary tuberculosis. Thorax. 1956 Jun;11(2):141–148. doi: 10.1136/thx.11.2.141. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. EDWARDS L. B., PALMER C. E. Epidemiologic studies of tuberculin sensitivity. I. Preliminary results with purified protein derivatives prepared from atypical acid-fast organisms. Am J Hyg. 1958 Sep;68(2):213–231. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GROTH-PETERSEN E. Chemoprophylaxis of tuberculosis. Acta Tuberc Scand. 1957;33(4):305–318. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GROTH-PETERSEN E., KNUDSEN J., WILBEK E. Konsekvensen af den aendrede epidemiologiske situation i tuberkulosearbejdet; tuberkulosemorbiditeten i den danske befolkning og i specifikke grupper af denne. Nord Med. 1957 Sep 19;58(38):1361–1369. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. GROTH-PETERSEN E., LØVGREEN A., THILLEMANN J. On the reliability of the reading of photofluorograms and value of dual reading. Acta Tuberc Scand. 1952;26(1-2):13–37. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. GROTH-PETERSEN E., MØLLER A. V. Observer error in the interpretation of photofluorograms and the value of dual reading in the Danish mass campaign. Acta Tuberc Scand. 1955;30(3-4):209–230. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. GROTH-PETERSEN E. Tuberculosis control in Denmark. Dan Med Bull. 1955 Nov;2(6):161–169. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. GROTH-PETERSEN E. Tuberkuloserisikoen som vejledende faktor. Manedsskr Prakt Laegegern. 1958 Oct;36(10):390–396. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. GROTH-PETERSEN E. Tuberkuloserisko og strålerisiko. Ugeskr Laeger. 1958 Mar 27;120(13):413–418. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. GROTH-PETERSEN E. Vaccinationsanamnese; hvor rigtigt svarer folk pa spørgsmalet, Er De calmettevaccineret? Ugeskr Laeger. 1953 Jun 25;115(26):1010–1013. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. GULD J. Quantitative aspects of the intradermal tuberculin test in humans. II. The relative importance of accurate injection technique. Acta Tuberc Scand. 1954;30(1-2):16–36. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. HAGN-MEINCKE F. Retningslinier for praeventiv kemoterapi. Manedsskr Prakt Laegegern. 1958 Oct;36(10):409–418. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. HORWITZ O., IVERSEN E. The incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Denmark 1921-1953. Dan Med Bull. 1955 Nov;2(6):173–180. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. IVERSEN E. The incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Denmark by sex and age 1921-1955. Dan Med Bull. 1957 Sep;4(6):191–196. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. OLSEN H. C. Tuberculosis in Bornholm after B.C.G. vaccination. Acta Tuberc Scand. 1953;28(1-2):1–30. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. PALMER C. E., JABLON S., EDWARDS P. Q. Tuberculosis morbidity of young men in relation to tuberculin sensitivity and body build. Am Rev Tuberc. 1957 Oct;76(4):517–539. doi: 10.1164/artpd.1957.76.4.517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. PALMER C. E., SHAW L. W., COMSTOCK G. W. Community trials of BCG vaccination. Am Rev Tuberc. 1958 Jun;77(6):877–907. doi: 10.1164/artpd.1958.77.6.877. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. PFISTERER R., WESPI H., HERZOG H. Beobachtung einiger Fälle von Morbus Boeck nach BCG-Impfung. Helv Med Acta. 1954 Oct;21(4-5):439–444. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. PLUM N. The eradication of bovine tuberculosis in Denmark. Dan Med Bull. 1955 Nov;2(6):169–172. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. SLOTTVED A. Retningslinier for rutinemaessig tuberkulose kontrol og for profylaktisk BCG-vaccination. Manedsskr Prakt Laegegern. 1958 Oct;36(10):396–409. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SPRINGETT V. H. Results of re-examination by mass radiography. Br Med J. 1951 Jul 21;2(4724):144–148. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.4724.144. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. VISKUM P., JENSEN C. M. Allergic, local and glandular response to BCG-vaccination in the Danish mass tuberculosis campaign of 1950-52. Acta Tuberc Scand. 1955;31(3-4):326–336. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. WINGE K. Collective results of mass-examinations for tuberculosis in the municipality of Copenhagen, 1946 and 1947/48. Acta Tuberc Scand. 1950;24(3-4):201–221. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Bulletin of the World Health Organization are provided here courtesy of World Health Organization

RESOURCES