title: Marijuana 'bong' smoking and tuberculosis.
abstract: The incidence of tuberculosis in the non-indigenous Australian population is low. However, in this paper we report on three cases of cavitating disease, which seem to be associated with a common illicit drug habit namely smoking marijuana using a makeshift pipe or bong. There was a total of 34 positive contacts of these cases and among the contacts sharing a bong with an index case was associated with a sixfold risk of transmission (odds ratio 6.5, confidence interval 1.4-30.4, P = 0.016). When cavitating tuberculosis is detected in a young non-indigenous native born Australian, marijuana use should be considered as a possible risk factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. kmthu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009517:New South Wales; D012307:Risk Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*