The Significance of Small Epidemics of Tuberculosis

¹ Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, University of Colorado School of Medicine.

This is a report of a small epidemic involving 22 persons, all of whom were infected by a girl with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Out of these 22 patients, three died of meningitis, seven developed pleurisy with effusion, and eight others were ill for shorter or longer periods with signs and symptoms of primary tuberculosis.

The whole purpose of this summary review of some previously reported small epidemics of tuberculosis has been to emphasize the following points which I believe to be implicit in adequate control of tuberculosis. First, routine use of the tuberculin test, which reveals recent converters (ideal cases for chemotherapy) and therefore those most likely to manifest signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis within a short period of time, secondly, the indispensable value of the x-ray film to reveal lesions within the thorax undetectable by any other means; thirdly, the menace of just one unrecognized case of active pulmonary tuberculosis in a tuberculin negative community, and fourthly, the "chain reaction" nature of the spread of tuberculous infection.