Three air travel-related contact investigations associated with infectious tuberculosis, 2007-2008.
BACKGROUND
The potential for transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during air travel has garnered considerable attention in the media and among public health authorities due to high-profile cases of international travelers with infectious tuberculosis (TB).


METHODS
During 2007 and 2008, state and local health officials were asked to locate and conduct diagnostic follow-up for airline passengers considered contacts of three travelers, two with multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB and one considered highly contagious, who undertook air travel while infectious with TB disease.


RESULTS
Public health departments in 21 states located and evaluated 79 (60%) of the 131 passenger contacts identified; 52 (40%) were lost to follow-up. Eight (10%) contacts had a history of TB disease or latent TB infection and were not retested. Sixteen (23%) of 71 contacts tested had positive TB test results suggesting latent TB infection, 15 of whom were from countries reporting estimated TB disease rates of greater than 200 cases/100,000 persons.


CONCLUSIONS
Passenger contacts' positive test results may represent prior TB infection acquired in their countries of residence or may be a result of new TB infection resulting from exposure during air travel.
Kornylo-Duong
Krista
K
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Atlanta, GA, USA. frl3@cdc.gov <frl3@cdc.gov>
Kim
Curi
C
Cramer
Elaine H
EH
Buff
Ann M
AM
Rodriguez-Howell
Daniel
D
Doyle
June
J
Higashi
Julie
J
Fruthaler
Carolyn S
CS
Robertson
Carrie L
CL
Marienau
Karen J
KJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000379:methods*; D018563:Disease Notification; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D055985:Latent Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D014195:Travel; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014944:World Health Organization