title: [Tuberculosis: contact tracing and preventive chemotherapy].
abstract: Tuberculosis is transmitted from patients with lung disease to sensitive individuals by inhalation of infectious particles expelled during cough. Therefore, the search for infected subjects among relatives of patients with infectious tuberculosis is the best method of preventing later development of the disease in populations where the prevalence of tuberculosis is low. Contact tracing relies on the tuberculin skin test, followed by chest X-ray if indicated and bacteriological examination of sputum. In recently infected subjects, particularly the young, preventive chemotherapy has been shown to decrease the risk of later disease.
authors.affiliation: Policlinique médicale universitaire, Lausanne.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zellweger
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016358:Contact Tracing; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents
vernacular_title: Tuberculose: examens d'entourage et chimiothérapie préventive.