[Four cases of pulmonary tuberculosis among deep-sea fishermen]

Pulmonary tuberculosis among deep-sea fishermen was reported. Four pulmonary tuberculosis cases among fishing boat members engaged in deep-sea fishing were registered at the Kesennuma Health Center during three years period from 2000 to 2002. Crew engaging in deep-sea fishing live together in a narrow cabin with inadequate airconditioning for a long period of time, about 1 year. It is difficult to consult with a medical institution in an open sea. If a tuberculosis patient breaks out in a boat, the risk of transmission of tuberculosis to other members is high. In boats of all four cases in this report, about 30 to 70 percent of crew were Indonesian. Indonesia is one of the high burden countries of tuberculosis in the world. The Japanese fishing boat members have received the medical checkup every year. Indonesians have also received the pre-employment medical checkup, however, the improvement in the quality of this medical checkup is required.