[Incidence of tuberculosis in the hunting tribe E-Lun-Chun in Northeast China].

The E-Lun-Chun, or Ortochen, a national minority in North East China, consisted of 2,262 members in 1953. In the mid-17th century a Russian invasion had displaced them from their original home in southward direction over the Amur river towards the Sin An Lin mountain range. While coming into closer contact with neighbouring peoples, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases spread rapidly among the members of the tribe. Under the Japanese occupation (1932-1945) the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis was estimated at about 30% of the inhabitants. After initiation of modern measures to fight disease (case finding, drug treatment, BCG vaccination) the incidence dropped from 12.8% in 1954 to 6.5% in 1985, representing a reduction by 49.2% in 31 years. In 1963 a tuberculosis hospital was set up exclusively for E-Lung-Chun and indigenous medical personnel was suitably trained. However, the expected success of drug therapy was hampered by the tribe's abuse of alcohol and their unsteady life as hunters. To achieve a more stable state of health among the E-Lun-Chun, information work and measures to fight tuberculosis should be intensified in future.