Objective. To describe screening for tuberculosis in a temporary centre for refugees, and contact investigation after a patient with open tuberculosis had been identified. Design. Descriptive. Setting. Regional Communal Health Centre Nijmegen. Method. The refugees waiting for official status were housed on three cruise ships during the winter period November 1993 fo April 1994. Ventilatory capacity was insufficient. The people had thorax radiograms after 10 days on average as a screening for tuberculosis. When abnormalities were found sputum was examined (Ziehl-Neelsen staining and culture). The workers of the centre were Mantoux-tested. Results. Of the 834 persons screened 4 had open tuberculosis. Contact investigation yielded three cases of infection among 5 contacts in the first ring, and 11 cases of infection and 2 cases of tuberculosis (one infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis, the other cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis) among 215 contacts in the second ring. Fourteen of the infected persons were centre workers. The bacteria found were not resistant to tuberculostatics.

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Netherlands health care management Tuberculosis, Pulmonary controlled study tuberculosis immigrant housing major clinical study Sputum mass screening health care policy Contact Tracing Article disease transmission human Refugees Mass Chest X-Ray English Abstract