8.2 Key Risk factors
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Children infected with M. tuberculosis are not usually ill and do not exhibit symptoms of TB unless the disease is active. Only a small percentage of children who inhale the TB organism develop active disease. Certain groups are at far greater risk than others.
Key risk factors for TB in children
- Household or close contacts of a smear positive or culture positive pulmonary TB (parents, siblings, close relatives, caregivers, neighbors and teachers)
- Age <5 years: The risk of developing TB disease is highest in very young children, who are immune immature
- Severe malnutrition or other Immunosuppressive conditions
- Measles in the previous 3 months
- Whooping cough
- HIV infection
- Being on steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs
- The time since exposure or infection: the vast majority of children who develop TB disease do so within the first year of exposure to and infection with M. tuberculosis.
Other high risk factors are HIV/AIDS, diabetes, end-stage renal failure, cancer, connective tissue disease, silicosis, gastrectomy, solid organ transplantation and patients on prolonged steroid. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patient have the increased risk of having TB
Age-specific risk of progression to disease after primary infection with M. tuberculosis in immunocompetent children
