Surveillance of drug-resistant tuberculosis and molecular evaluation of transmission of resistant strains in refugee and non-refugee populations in North-Eastern Kenya.

Setting: Three refugee camp complex clinics and an adjacent non-refugee treatment centre in North-Eastern Kenya.

Objectives: To use conventional and molecular epidemiology tools to determine: 1) the prevalence of drug resistance in newly diagnosed patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in refugee and non-refugee populations; 2) risk factors for resistance in the two populations; and 3) whether IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and spoligotyping showed similarities in DNA fingerprinting patterns of drug-resistant isolates that could infer transmission within and between the two populations.

Results: Of 241 isolates from the camps, 44 (18.

National tuberculin survey of Kenya, 1986-1990.

Setting: The first tuberculin survey conducted in Kenya by the World Health Organisation in 1958-1959 found an annual risk of tuberculosis infection (ARTI) of 2.5%.

Objective: To estimate the ARTI and its trend in recent years and to compare the estimated incidence rates with the notification rates.

Effect of non-tuberculous Mycobacteria infection on tuberculin results among primary school children in Kenya.

Few tuberculosis studies carried out in Kenya since 1948 have reported on the variations of the occurrence and geographical distributions of non-tuberculous Mycobacteria infection. They have however not been able to clearly relate infection outcome to the use of tuberculin tests as epidemiologic and clinical tool. The present survey, conducted by Kenya Medical Research Institute in collaboration with the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases between 1986 and 1990 among school children aged 6-13 years in 18 randomly selected districts, investigated the following: the prevalence of sensitivity to tuberculin PPD RT 23 and PPD scrofulaceum RS 95 sensitin; geographic distribution of the reactions from the tests and; the influence of non-tuberculous Mycobacteria on the tuberculin results.

A study of the use of maternity and child welfare clinics in case-finding for pulmonary tuberculosis in Kenya.

This investigation is the seventh in a series of case-finding studies in Kenya. It explores the potential value of questioning mothers attending maternity and child welfare (M & CW) clinics to identify tuberculosis suspects (individuals aged 6 years or more with a cough for 1 month or more or hemoptysis) living in their households. The study was carried out in all the eight M & CW clinics in two divisions (populations 86,000 and 112,000) of two different districts.

Studies of case-finding for pulmonary tuberculosis in outpatients at 4 district hospitals in Kenya.

This investigation is the sixth in a series of case-finding studies in Kenya. It explores the potential for case-finding by the identification of tuberculosis suspects (individuals with a cough for 1 month or more) through careful screening of general outpatients attending 4 district hospitals for the first time. Of 2299 suspects identified among 87 845 new outpatients attending the hospitals, 4.