Children in high tuberculosis zones face high risk of infection by age 10

A Lancet study found that children living in areas where tuberculosis is common have a high chance of both getting infected with the TB bacteria and developing active TB disease by the time they reach 10 years old.

In Short

• Children have a high risk of infection in tuberculosis affected areas up to 10 years
• Infection rates were highest in the first year of life and decreased as they grew older
• The new Lancet study highlights the importance of preventive TB treatment

New findings from a recent study talk about tuberculosis (TB) risks in children living in areas where TB is widespread, such as parts of South Africa.

According to research led by Boston University School of Public Health, the University of S£o Paulo, and the University of Cape Town, children up to 10 years old in these regions face a high risk of TB infection and disease.

The study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, is the first to track TB infection rates from birth over a decade in high-burden communities.

Each year, around 1.2 million children worldwide contract TB, and 2,00,000 children die from it. While the disease is preventable and treatable, it remains under-studied, especially in real-world settings outside of healthcare facilities.

This study followed 1,137 pregnant women and their 1,143 children near Cape Town, testing the children at 6 months, 12 months, and annually for TB infection or whenever they showed signs of respiratory infection.

Findings showed a troubling pattern: by age 10, more than 10 percent of the children had developed TB disease. Children faced a 36 percent cumulative risk of TB infection by age 8.

Infection rates were highest in the first year of life and decreased gradually as the children grew older. However, 1 in 10 children developing TB disease by age 10 signals potential long-term health consequences, including weakened immunity.

Dr Leonardo Martinez, a study co-senior author, emphasised that TB in children is a severe health issue, affecting thousands of children in South Africa more than their peers in countries like the United States.

Co-senior author Dr Heather Zar noted that many TB cases in children were diagnosed when they presented with pneumonia, suggesting that pneumonia cases in high TB-prevalence areas should be checked for TB as well.

The study highlights the importance of preventive TB treatment, yet most children in the study who were eligible for this treatment did not receive it.

Preventive care worked well for the children who received it, but many still didn’t have access and remain at risk.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) aims to reduce TB cases and deaths significantly by 2030, making pediatric TB reduction a global health priority. In a recent report by WHO, TB has become the world’s top infectious disease killer.

Dr Martinez believes tackling pediatric TB requires a comprehensive approach involving all stakeholders.