title: The yield of screening symptomatic contacts of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases at a tertiary hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early detection and treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB, resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin) is an urgent global priority. Identifying and tracing close contacts of patients with MDR-TB could be a feasible strategy to achieve this goal. However, there is limited experience with contact tracing among patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis both globally and in Ethiopia. Here we present our findings on the extent of screening symptomatic contacts and its yield in a tertiary hospital in a major urban setting in Ethiopia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptomatic household contacts were identified in 29 (5.7%) of 508 index cases treated at the hospital. There were a total of 155 family members in the households traced of whom 16 (10%) had confirmed MDR-TB. At least one confirmed MDR-TB cases was identified in 15 (51.7%) of the 29 traced households.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tracing symptomatic contacts of MDR-TB cases could be a high yield strategy for early detection and treatment of MDR-TB cases in the community. The approach should be promoted for wider adoption and dissemination. Larger scale studies should be done to determine its effectiveness and sustainability in similar settings.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 54 code 1251, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. attiyos@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Addisalem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Titiyos
authors.affiliation: Heal TB, Management Science for Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. degujerene@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Degu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jerene
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. fikreens@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fikre
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Enquselasie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D005002:Ethiopia; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult