Background: Tuberculosis has reappeared in developed countries, and Spain is no exception. The aim of this study is to find out the degree of prevalence of tuberculosis infection and the rate of tuberculosis infection in a shanty town occupied by Moroccan immigrants. Method: Using one case of active pulmonary tuberculosis in a Moroccan citizen, immigrant and resident in a settlement of slums, a contact study was undertaken with the collaboration of social workers and a Moroccan sociologist who lived in the same shanty town, who acted as interpreter. A tuberculosis test was carried out applying PPD in the Health Centre, to 80% of the residents, offering an extremely flexible timetable and no bureaucratic red tape. The inoculations, records and Mantoux readings were performed by two nurses at the Health Centre. Results: Mantoux cover was 83.3%. The proportion with a tuberculosis infection was 77.7%; five cases were diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis (13.8%). Conclusions: The rate of tuberculosis found (77.7%) is considerably higher than other findings published with respect to other fringe groups living in Spain (30%).

Immigrant Tuberculosis Infection Social-Health coordination Mantoux

Spain case report Tuberculosis, Pulmonary Emigration and Immigration Humans contact examination ethnology Article disease transmission middle aged Contact Tracing human adult Morocco migration lung tuberculosis