Background: Infants with latent tuberculosis are often subject to high morbidity, nutritional deficiency and mortality. Early treatment can prevent the onset of TB by reducing morbidity and improving nutritional status. This paper assessed whether preventive chemotherapy for TB can improve health and nutritional status of infants diagnosed with latent TB in Kisangani City. Method: Children diagnosed TB+ by tuberculin skin test and other clinical examinations were treated with Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol. Clinical symptoms and nutritional status were determined before to start treatment and at the 5th month of treatment. Results: Out of 161 infants treated, 73 (45.3%) were <1 year old, 49 (30.4%) were 1 - 2 years old and 39 (24.2%) were 3 - 5 years old. Both boys and girls were almost equally represented (50.3/49.7%). The proportion of infants with fever (T > 37°C) was 62.7% before treatment and 17.4% at the 5th month of treatment; the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Similarly, the proportion of children with weights below the ideal weight adjusted for each age decreased from 21.7% before treatment to 8.1% after treatment. Infants younger than one year were more likely to have fever than older children, while girls were more likely to be malnourished than boys (p < 0.05) before treatment, but the recovery rates were not different. Conclusion: Treatment of infants diagnosed of latent TB prevents TB disease and improves nutritional status, but not in all cases. Control of fever and weight gain can be an indicator of good outcome in poor health care settings.
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