Original Research Article
Year: 2015 | Month: December | Volume: 2 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 739-744
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis among Middle Aged Individuals Attending the T.B Unit in Aba South Primary Health Care Center Aba, Abia State Nigeria
Ihemanma C.A., Ekeoma V.U., Ejike B.U.
Biology/Microbiology Department, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba. Abia State, Nigeria.
Corresponding Author: Ihemanma C.A
ABSTRACT
Tuberculosis is one of the most communicable infections known globally. The study on Mycobacterium tuberculosis among middle aged individuals referred to the T.B unit of Aba south primary health care center was investigated. Sputum specimens were sampled from May to August 2015. A total of 200 sputum samples were collected aseptically from patients and were examined for the presence of the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis using the Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique. Out of the 200 sputum samples examined, Mycobacterium tuberculosis occurred in 42 (21%) samples. Males tend to have had a higher incidence rate than females in the study and the infection rate was more among patients within ages 26-35yrs covering a population percentage of 7% of the total population examined, out of the 21% that tested positive to tuberculosis, 11% were males while 10%were females. Ages 16-25yrs had positive case occurrence of 2.5% for males and 3% for females, individuals aged 26-45yrs had an incidence rate of 4% for males and 3% for females while those within ages 36-45yrs had an incidence rate of 1.5% for males and 2% for females those within ages 46-55yrs had an incidence rate of 2% to 1% for females and those greater than 56 had an incidence rate of 1% males against 1% for females, of these 200 patients that participated in the study, 28 (14%) were HIV confirmed patients while 14 (7%) were uninfected with HIV. This shows a high prevalence of tuberculosis among HIV infected individuals. Mycobacterium tuberculosis are of public health importance and needs effective control especially among young age groups; also this calls for the attention of public health workers, governmental and non governmental agencies for concerted effort against the bacterium in the area.
Keywords:Tuberculosis, Aba south, HIV, Sputum.