Considerations regarding tuberculosis and viral infections in childhood

CHILDHOOD (Abstract): Tuberculosis is a major public health problem worldwide, with mortality rates that have not decreased significantly in many regions. Aim: to evidence a correlation between antecedents of varicella and other infectious diseases caused by viruses in childhood and the subsequent diagnosis of tuberculosis in children and young adults. Materials and methods: a descriptive study was conducted on a group of 507 children and young adults, ho spitalized for a period of 5 years, in a pneumology hospital from Eastern Romania. Results: The frequency ratio indicated a predominance of females (53.8%), from the urban environment (52%), mean age = 11.40 years, close to the median value. Infectious diseases were identified in 38.7% of patients. The most common infections were varicella (28.8% of total; 44.5% aged 8-14 years, p=0.004) and mumps (15.4% of total; 52.6% aged 15-23 years, p=0.001), but rubella (4.7%) and measles (4.1%) in antecedents were also identified. Conclusions: Our study highlighted the hypothesis that, by frequency, infectious diseases in antecedents, esp ecially varicella, could predispose to a later TB infection, in children aged of 8-14 years.