[Report on fourth national epidemiological sampling survey of tuberculosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiological trend of tuberculosis, to evaluate the efficacy of control measures and to provide scientific basis for making National Tuberculosis Control Programme 2001 approximately 2010. METHODS: Tuberculin testing was carried out among 0 approximately 14 years old children; fluroscopy was carried out for >/= 15 years old population and children with >/= 10 mm reaction of tuberculin testing; chest X-ray film, sputum smear and culture were done for the patients of fluroscopy abnormal and suspects of tuberculosis symptom (persistent cough for 3 weeks or more); drug sensitivity test was done for the patients with culture positive; a retrospective study of tuberculosis mortality in 1999 was conducted at all investigation points; social economic study was done for the active pulmonary tuberculosis cases; the survey of tuberculosis infection rate for all population was carried out in 59 investigation points. RESULTS: The population actually examined in this survey numbered 365 097. The examination rate was more than 95%. The prevalence of active pulmonary tuberculosis was 367/100 000, the prevalence of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis was 122/100 000 and the prevalence of bacteriological positive pulmonary tuberculosis was 160/100 000. In comparison with 1979, the annual reduction rates were 4.5% for the standardized prevalence of active pulmonary tuberculosis and 3.8% for the standardized prevalence of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis. In comparison with 1990, the annual reduction rates were 5.4% and 3.2%, respectively. The smear positive prevalence standardized showed a 44.4% decrease in the regions of implementing project of Health V but only 12.3% decrease in the regions without the project. The prevalence in the west region was higher than national average prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemic of tuberculosis is still serious and prevalence decrease was slow. The governments at different levels must pay more attention to tuberculosis control programme, increase budget, implement DOTS strategy.