Tuberculosis in Enclosed Populations

Transmission of tuberculosis (TB) is most effective in close contact indoor environments in various congregate settings including health care facilities, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, long-term care facilities, as well as community settings such as homes, schools, workplaces, and various modes of transportation. Outbreaks are fueled by numerous factors including the HIV epidemic, ease of global travel, unstable socio-economic and/or political situations, and lapses in response to potentially infectious patients. Organized approaches to TB control include an appropriate index of suspicion, identification and isolation of contagious patients in appropriate facilities, use of environmental controls, and personal protective equipment in accordance to national and international published guidelines. These all require tailoring to the various settings where TB is encountered using a determination of risk. Concerted efforts at the local, regional, national, and international levels at identifying patients with active disease, enforcing completion of treatment, and testing and fully treating patients with latent TB infection are paramount in reducing TB burden and continued transmission.