Risk factors for recurrent tuberculosis in children under modern conditions

Abstract

In recent years, the situation on the main epidemiological indicators of tuberculosis (TB) in the Russian Federation has clear positive changes, including those among the pediatric population. The criterion of the efficiency of the therapy performed and the quality of a follow-up after completing the basic therapy cycle is the absence of a relapse of the disease and hence the chronization of the process. It is commonly supposed that the appearance of the signs of active TB in individuals who have experienced and cured of TB is a relapse of TB. The paper describes the clinical case of recurrent TB, which shows that the main risk factor for primary TB is the lack of immunization against TB due the perinatal contact of a child with a HIV-infected mother. The provoking factor for a relapse was exogenous TB superinfection due to the development of new cases of the disease in the family in the presence of a child’s long-term already existing contact.