Survey of tuberculosis prevalence in Japan, 1954: trends in tuberculosis from 1953 to 1954.

A survey of the prevalence of tuberculosis in Japan conducted in 1953 showed that the unexpectedly high proportion of 3.4% of the total population stood in need of medical treatment for that disease and provided much-needed basic information on a variety of aspects of the tuberculosis situation in the country. In 1954, 70 of the 210 survey areas of the previous year were re-surveyed in order to assess the trends in types and extent of tuberculosis and in reactions to tuberculin-testing during the year and to determine the tuberculosis incidence. This paper reports on the findings made on re-survey. It is considered, however, that in view of the brief interval between the two surveys no final conclusions can be drawn and that a further survey is needed at some later date.