PULMONARY EOSINOPHILIA IN CHILDREN - REPORT OF A SCHOOL SURVEY IN RURAL TAMIL-NADU IN INDIA

During the period of 1981-82 in a survey of 21 schools in four village s of North Arcot Ambedkar District of Tamil Nadu, amongst a population of 4282 children we detected 92 with respiratory symptoms and blood e osinophilia greater than 1000 per cumm. Sixty-eight students had assoc iated worm infestation, majority with hookworm followed by giardia. Al together 37 children had blood eosinophilia above 2000 per cumm and ha d symptoms of cough, dyspnoea, and wheeze consistent with pulmonary eo sinophilia. Fourteen of the children with pulmonary eosinophilia had e osinopenic remission with deworming alone. Six of them, on the other h and, responded to diethyl carbamazine (DEC) alone and 17 others, follo wing deworming, required further DEC therapy for successful eosinopeni c remission, thus warranting a diagnosis of Tropical Pulmonary Eosinop hilia (TPE).