OBJECTIVETo describe the geographical distribution regarding the prevalence rates of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in 2010, to provide reference for eliminating the regional unbalance of TB prevalence in China.

METHODSThiessen Polygon Method, dealing with spatial analysis in geographical information system, was used to analyze data from the 5th national TB epidemiological survey.

RESULTSThe prevalence rates of active pulmonary TB(PAPT), Mycobacterium-positive pulmonary TB (PMPT) and smear-positive pulmonary TB (PSPT) were 62-548/100 thousand population (OHTP),0-120/OHTP and 0-68/OHTP, which were all relatively lower in most parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong than in other areas. PAPT (549-1656/OHTP), PMPT (121-366/OHTP) and PSPT (69-181/OHTP) were relatively higher in most parts of Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Xizang, Qinghai and Xinjiang than in other areas, in which PAPT, PMPT and PSPT of some areas could be seen as high as 1657-2646/OHTP, 367-625/OHTP and 182-285/OHTP, respectively. PAPT, PMPT and PSPT manifested jigsaw pattern distribution between 320-548/OHTP adn 549-919/OHTP, among 67-120/OHTP, 121-207/OHTP and 208-366/OHTP, and among 38-68/OHTP, 69-115/OHTP and 116-181/OHTP, respectively, in the rest of the provinces or autonomous regions.

CONCLUSIONThe geographical distribution for TB prevalence significantly presented the fact that it was relatively low in the eastern parts and high in the western parts, and a jigsaw transition pattern between the low and high rates, in the central part of the country.