title: Outbreak of tuberculosis in a homeless population involving multiple sites of transmission.
abstract: METHODS
  During 2002-2003, a large outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) occurred among persons using multiple homeless facilities in King County, Washington.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To control the transmission of TB in multiple settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2002, contacts exposed to patients in homeless facilities were screened using tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) and symptom review. Based on these screening results, sites of transmission were identified and prioritised, and exposed cohorts at these sites were offered intensive screening tests in 2003 (e.g., symptom review, TST, chest radiograph [CXR], sputum examination and culture). Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from patients were genotyped using PCR-based methods to identify outbreak-associated patients quickly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 2002-2003, 48 (15%) of 313 patients diagnosed in King County were outbreak-associated; 47 culture-positive patients had isolates that matched the outbreak strain by genotyping. Three facilities visited by >12 patients in 2002 had a higher prevalence of TST positive results (approximately 30%) among clients compared with the background rate (7%) in the homeless community. Screening contacts with one sputum culture was as sensitive as CXR in detecting TB disease (77% vs. 62%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A comprehensive, resource-intensive approach likely helped to control transmission. This outbreak highlights the vulnerability of homeless populations and the need to maintain robust TB programs in urban settings.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lofy
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McElroy
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lake
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Cowan
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Diem
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cangelosi
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Tribble
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Cave
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology