ABSTRACT
Jail inmates may be at increased risk of contracting tuberculosis [TB]. We studied 386 detainees [mean age 17.7 years] in Karachi juvenile jail to determine the prevalence of TB and possible risk factors for contracting TB. We found a 3.9% prevalence of TB among the inmates, significantly higher than the estimated 1.1% prevalence in the general population of Pakistan. Positive family history of TB was a significant risk factor for TB. Poor adherence of previously diagnosed patients to anti-TB treatment was found. Our study highlights the vulnerability of inmates to TB owing to the presence of highly infectious cases, along with environmental conditions such as overcrowding and poor ventilation. This study strongly indicates the need for an effective treatment programme in the jails as well in the general community
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Humans , Male , Age Distribution , Analysis of Variance , Antitubercular Agents , Cross-Sectional Studies , Directly Observed Therapy , Family Characteristics , Occupations/statistics & numerical data , Prisons/statistics & numerical data , Smoking/epidemiology , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/epidemiology , Urban Health/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
Blood donor screening for HIV antibody was carried out at Blood Transfusion Service of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Sera of 1655 blood donors were tested by Enzyme linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay [Abbott recombinant HIV-1-EIA] from March, 1987 to December, 1989. Initial reactivity was noted in seven cases, of which three were repeatedly reactive. When these were tested by western blot at National Institute of Health, all were reported negative. Thus no HIV positive blood donor was found in the subject population