DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2020.v08i06.037

Pages: 1597-1604

Tuberculosis, though a curable infectious disease, remains one of the leading causes of death in adults. It is also a major public health concern in Nigeria. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis in unisex adults at the National Hospital, Abuja. The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in National Hospital was studied using the Gene Xpert MTB/RIF procedure. Gene Xpert MTB/RIF assay technique was used to detect the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A total of two hundred (200) patients from 18 years and above were screened and enrolled for this study. The study revealed that 13 out of 200 patients were positive with pulmonary tuberculosis with an overall prevalence rate of 6.50%. The most affected age group was between 36-45years having the highest prevalence of infection (15.79%). Male patients had a higher prevalence at 12.0%, compared to 3.2% in females. The statistical analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship of prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in National Hospital, Abuja with respect to age and gender (P<0.05). The prevalence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis among Adults in National Hospital, Abuja is slightly above the estimated falling rate of the World Health organization. This means that the prevalence of the infection in National Hospital, Abuja is gradually decreasing and might fall to a prevalence of zero if the necessary measures for preventing spread of infections are put in place.