Unclassified Mycobacteria in Children

In two earlier studies, it was noted that the tuberculosis infection rate among patients attending the well baby clinic at the Medical College of Virginia was extremely high.1,2Although some question was raised as to the possibility that some of these positive tuberculin reactions might be the result of some cause other than infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis,3no evidence was available to support such a theory. While the following material will not necessarily produce this support, it does suggest the widespread incidence of anonymous or unclassified Mycobacteria among children in the Richmond area. The present study was actually instituted in an effort to determine the effect of isoniazid on primary tuberculosis as determined by eradication of tubercle bacilli from gastric culture. Results of this investigation will be reported more fully in another publication. Criteria for the Study Admitted to the study were 105 children with diagnosis of asymptomatic