Community-wide INH treatment of latent TB infection in a BCG-vaccinated population: experience in rural Taiwan.
METHODS
A contiguous four-village bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccinated population (n = 1785) in an aboriginal township in Taiwan with a very high tuberculosis (TB) burden.


OBJECTIVE
To report our experience in this first community-wide effort in Taiwan to treat latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in household contacts of recently diagnosed TB cases.


RESULTS
Overall, 71 LTBI cases (88.8%) completed varying case-specific isoniazid treatment courses, accounting for 4.0% of the affected community (village range 2.4-7.5%, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
LTBI in household contacts was successfully identified and treated in a very high TB burden BCG-vaccinated area in rural Taiwan, complementing standard TB control measures.
Bowerman
R J
RJ
Department of Community Health, Mennonite Christian Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan. ron_bowerman@ykhc.org
D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012424:Rural Population; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission
D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D007538:Isoniazid