title: The yield of a tuberculosis household contact investigation in two regions of Ethiopia.
abstract: METHODS
  Amhara and Oromia regions, Ethiopia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the yield of a household contact investigation for tuberculosis (TB) under routine programme conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 2013 and March 2014, TB clinic officers conducted symptom-based screening for household contacts (HHCs) of 6015 smear-positive TB (SS+ TB) index cases. Based on quarterly reported programme data, we calculated the yield in terms of number needed to screen (NNS) and number needed to test (NNT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 15,527 HHCs screened, 6.1% had presumptive TB (8.5% in Oromia vs. 3.9% in Amhara). All forms of TB and SS+ TB were diagnosed in respectively 2.5% (Oromia 3.9% vs. Amhara 1.2%) and 0.76% (Oromia 0.98% vs. Amhara 0.55%) of contacts. The NNS to detect a TB case all forms and SS+ TB was respectively 40 and 132. The NNT to diagnose a TB case all forms and SS+ TB was respectively 2.4 and 8. Of 1687 eligible children aged <5 years, 323 were started on isoniazid preventive therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The yield of the household contact investigation was over 10 times higher than the estimated prevalence in the general population; household contact investigations can serve as an entry point for childhood TB care.
authors.affiliation: Help Ethiopia Address the Low Tuberculosis Performance (HEAL TB) Project, Management Sciences for Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jerene
authors.affiliation: Help Ethiopia Address the Low Tuberculosis Performance (HEAL TB) Project, Management Sciences for Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melese
authors.affiliation: Help Ethiopia Address the Low Tuberculosis Performance (HEAL TB) Project, Management Sciences for Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kassie
authors.affiliation: Amhara Regional Health Bureau, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alem
authors.affiliation: Oromia Regional Health Bureau, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Daba
authors.affiliation: Help Ethiopia Address the Low Tuberculosis Performance (HEAL TB) Project, Management Sciences for Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiruye
authors.affiliation: Help Ethiopia Address the Low Tuberculosis Performance (HEAL TB) Project, Management Sciences for Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Girma
authors.affiliation: Management Sciences for Health, Center for Health Services, Arlington, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Suarez
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000379:methods*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061366:Numbers Needed To Treat; D015995:Prevalence; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D007538:Isoniazid