Epidemiology of tuberculosis in Lebanon

• Published in: The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease Vol. 3; no. 9; pp. 774 - 777
• Main Author: KALAAJIEH, W. K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris, France IUATLD 01-09-1999; Union internationale contre la tuberculose et les maladies respiratoires
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Epidemiology; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infectious diseases; Lebanon; Lebanon - epidemiology; Lung Diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Tropical medicine; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - epidemiology; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Lebanon; Asia; Infection; Human; Lung disease; Tuberculosis; Respiratory disease; Lung; Bacteriosis; Mycobacterial infection; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 1027-3719; 1815-7920

OBJECTIVE: To identify the epidemiological characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) in Lebanon; a review covering the period from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1996.DESIGN: Descriptive analysis of surveillance data of all new cases of active TB reported to the Epidemiological Surveillance
Unit of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon.RESULTS: A total of 1111 patients were males and 832 patients were females; 5% of the patients were below the age of 5 years and 19% below the age of 15. The geographical distribution of TB patients
shows that 38.4% of the patients were residents of Beirut, and 27.2% residents of North Lebanon.CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the existence of a potentially large TB reservoir in Lebanon, especially in the areas of Beirut and North Lebanon. Health workers should be alerted to the importance
of continual case finding, effective treatment, control of infection transmission and the continued abatement of the tuberculosis problem in the years to come.