[Tuberculosis Annual Report 2010--(3) Childhood tuberculosis]

The number of newly notified childhood tuberculosis (TB) cases (TB in patients aged 0-14 years) in Japan in 2010 was 89, which corresponds to a notification rate of 0.53 per 100,000 population. The annual notified numbers and rates of childhood TB decreased steadily until 2006, after which the number dropped to below 100 and have since remained stable. Among the 89 childhood TB patients notified in 2010, 30 (33.7%) were aged 0-4 years, 26 (29.2%) were 5-9 years, and 33 (37.1%) were 10-14 years. In 2010, the number and proportion of TB patients aged 10-14 years were remarkably increased as compared to those in previous years. In the same year, 25 (28.1%) extrapulmonary TB cases were reported in children, while no TB meningitis or miliary TB cases were reported. The number of foreigners with childhood TB increased from 5 in 2008 and 3 in 2009 to 9 (10.1%) in 2010. In 2010, 30 patients (33.7%) with TB symptoms were identified at medical institutions, and 40 (44.9%) were identified by contact investigation of household members. These accounted for nearly 80% of the childhood TB cases detected, similar to the trend in previous years. Of the 47 prefectures in Japan, 15 reported no cases of childhood TB in 2010. Childhood TB cases were concentrated in the metropolitan areas such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Area (23 cases) and Kanagawa Prefecture (9 cases). In recent years, the number and rate of childhood TB cases in Japan have remained low; however, further efforts to eliminate childhood TB will require early detection and treatment of infectious cases, efficient contact investigations, and sustaining good TB prevention practices.