title: Active tuberculosis in a deployed field hospital.
abstract: During the deployment of U.S. troops to the former Republic of Yugoslavia in support of Operation Joint Endeavor and the Dayton Peace Accords from December 1995 to December 1996, members of a deployed field hospital were exposed to a case of active tuberculosis from a local civilian worker. Tuberculin skin testing of civilian contacts of the index patient revealed 76% reactivity. Testing of exposed unit members revealed a 1.3% conversion rate upon redeployment, versus a 2.0% conversion rate for redeployed soldiers as a whole. More importantly, tuberculin skin testing of locally hired civilian workers as a whole revealed a 44% background positive rate, raising significant force-protection concerns and highlighting the role of occupational medicine and the need for screening of civilian employees in operations other than war.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Emmons
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ljaamo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina; D005260:Female; D006797:Housekeeping, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008889:Military Personnel; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D014481:United States; D015022:Yugoslavia