Annual risk of tuberculosis infection among the tribal children of Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh

A cross sectional tuberculin survey was undertaken to estimate the Annual Risk of Tuberculosis Infection (ARTI) amongst tribal children aged 1–9 years in Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh, India. Of the 1056 test-read children, 774 (73.3 %) had no BCG scar. The prevalence of infection was estimated as 6.3% (95% CI: 4.8–7.7) and ARTI as 1.2 % (95% CI: 0.9–1.5). The findings suggest that the tuberculosis situation in the tribal population of Jhabua district is not that different from the situation among the non-tribal population in the country. However, there is a need to further intensify tuberculosis control measures in the area.