Tuberculosis and BCG

Abstract

Although tuberculosis has shown a continuing decline in the UK since the earliest statistics were available in 1838, it still causes more deaths than any other notifiable disease. In a recent survey it was shown that about 20% of deaths occurred in patients whose infection was diagnosed only after death. Many of these deaths might have been prevented by better use of the facilities available for diagnosis and treatment. In general the decline in deaths increased in the years after 1947 when streptomycin, paraaminosalicylic acid and isoniazid came into general use. Over the years, the rate of decline in mortality has been markedly different in different age groups and in males and females. At present deaths from tuberculosis occur essentially in males aged 45 yr and over. In 1972, 92% of deaths from all forms of tuberculosis and 94% of deaths from respiratory tuberculosis (excluding late complications) were in that age group.