title: Three air travel-related contact investigations associated with infectious tuberculosis, 2007-2008.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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>
authors.forename: Krista
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kornylo-Duong
authors.forename: Curi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Elaine H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Buff
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Howell
authors.forename: June
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: Carolyn S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Fruthaler
authors.forename: Carrie L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Marienau
mesh_terms: 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