title: Crack cocaine and infectious tuberculosis.
abstract: We hypothesize that crack cocaine is independently associated with smear-positive tuberculosis (TB). In a case-control study of TB in London, 19 (86%) of 22 crack cocaine users with pulmonary TB were smear positive compared with 302 (36%) of 833 non-drug users. Respiratory damage caused by crack cocaine may predispose drug users to infectivity.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Section, Respiratory Diseases Department, Health Protection Agency, London, UK. alistair.story@hpa.org.uk
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Story
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bothamley
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayward