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Tuberculosis in Inner London: evidence for an increase in young adults and immigrants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

T. M. S. Barkham ,
A. Drury ,
A. D. Pearson ,
R. Dybowski  and
H. Atkinson
T. M. S. Barkham
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH
A. Drury
Affiliation:
Department of Thoracic Medicine, St Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH
A. D. Pearson
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH
R. Dybowski
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH
H. Atkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH
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Summary

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We report a marked increase in the rate of notifications of tuberculosis in young adults in the London Borough of Lambeth. Analysis of notifications made to the Proper Officer over a 10-year period showed that the age specific notification rate in the cohort aged 20–44 years increased from 30/100000 in 1983 to 51/100000 in 1992. Analysis of St. Thomas' Hospital laboratory records of patients seen between 1984 and 1991 from whom Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated showed an increase in the number of patients of African origin from five in the first half of the study period (1984–7) to 25 in the second half (1988–91): 21 of these 25 had immigrated into England within 4 years of their illness. This finding is being further investigated in a prospective study of ethnicity, travel history and date of immigration of Lambeth residents notified with tuberculosis.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 115 , Issue 1 , August 1995 , pp. 133 - 137
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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