Identifying the sources of tuberculosis in young children: a multistate investigation

Emerg Infect Dis. 2002 Nov;8(11):1216-23. doi: 10.3201/eid0811.020419.

Abstract

To better understand the molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) transmission for culture-confirmed patients <5 years of age, data were analyzed from a population-based study conducted in seven U.S. sites from 1996 to 2000. Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were genotyped with IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and spoligotyping. Case-patient data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention s national tuberculosis registry and health department records. Routine public health investigations conducted by local health departments identified suspected source patients for 57 (51%) of 111 culture-confirmed patients <5 years of age. For 8 (15%) of 52 culture-confirmed patients <5 years of age and their suspected source patients with complete genotyping results, genotypes suggested infection with different TB strains. Potential differences between sources for patients <5 years of age and source patients that transmitted TB to adolescent and adult patients were identified.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Contact Tracing*
  • DNA Fingerprinting
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • Databases, Factual
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / classification
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics*
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
  • Risk Factors
  • Sentinel Surveillance
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology
  • Tuberculosis / prevention & control
  • Tuberculosis / transmission*
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • DNA, Bacterial