The prevalence of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in patients with a short history of cough (less than three weeks) at Kamwala, Chilenje and Kabwata Clinics, Lusaka, Zambia

Tuberculosis continues to be the leading cause of death from an infectious disease. It poses a serious threat to the health of the human population. Two problems threaten the eventual conquest of tuberculosis: the human immunodeficiency virus and the emergency of multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis. Aim: The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in patients with a short duration of cough was determined at 3 urban clinics of Lusaka. Hypothesis: A significant proportion of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis present with cough less than 3 weeks duration. Methodology: Two hundred and four (204) out-patients (125 males and 84 females; mean age 34 years) at Kamwala, Chilenje and Kabwata clinics, Lusaka. Zambia who had a cough less 3 weeks were screened by microscopy and culture of 3 sputum samples and chest radiographs; 54 (26.5%) had PTB. There was no difference in the age and gender between patients with PTB and those with no evidence of PTB. Twenty-nine patients (53%) with microbiologically confirmed tuberculosis had chest radiographs suggestive of TB. Fifty-nine patients with no microbiological evidence of TB had chest x rays suggestive of TB. Some patients with short history of cough would benefit from PTB screening strategies with emphasis on sputum examination rather than chest x-rays which are unreliable. They include patients with other features of TB and those who are very sick