ABSTRACT
The incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Southeastern Nigeria was studied using cultures and microscopic examination of sputa. The isolation of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) from sputa of some in- and out-patients in hospitals and health centers revealed the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 420 (31.7%) out of the 1,324 patients examined during a TB outbreak. A mortality rate of 9 (2.14%) of the 420 AFB-positive cases was observed during the study period of 10 months. The most affected age group was between 16 and 35 years, with high incidence rates found in traders (33.8%), health workers (31.0%), and food vendors (13.8%). Male subjects had a higher incidence of 35.6%, compared to 26.9% in females. Intensification of training programs for adequate numbers of medical diagnostic personnel in referral hospitals; public health education and integration of socio-political, cultural and economic frameworks are advocated in the subregion to avert iminent TB epidemic in Southeastern Nigeria.