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Persistence of Tuberculin Sensitivity in BCG Vaccinated Persons Isolated in Institutions
Author(s) -
WASZHÖCKERT OLE,
DONNER MÄRTA
Publication year - 1954
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1954.tb04012.x
Subject(s) - medicine , tuberculin , mantoux test , vaccination , tuberculosis , bcg vaccine , tuberculin test , allergy , skin test , immunology , pediatrics , surgery , pathology
Summary A preliminary report is given on investigations into the duration of sensitivity to tuberculin of 217 BCG vaccinated inmates of closed institutions. Both the inmates and the staff were under strict observation for tuberculosis. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The isolated milieu has been effective in excluding the risk of tuberculous infection. No increased allergy suggestive of super‐infection was observed. 2. The patients examined were vaccinated with BCG vaccine from the Bacteriological Laboratory of Sahlgrenska Sjukhuset, Gothenburg. 0.1 ml containing 0.05 mg of BCG organisms was injected intracutaneously into the left thigh. 96.4 per cent of those vaccinated were positive at the check‐up. 3. The tuberculin reaction has been taken as negative if smaller than 10×10 mm 72 hours after the injection of 1.0 mg Mantoux. 4. Two cases in which Koch's phenomenon was observed were excluded from the material. 5. After 1 year 7.3 per cent had become negative, after 2 years 16.0 per cent, after 2 1 / 2 years 28.3 per cent and after 3 1 / 2 years 29.4 per cent. 6. Mantoux test 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 mg on the vaccinated showed that allergy to tuberculin, on the whole, declined with time, which supports the above result.