[Tuberculosis in the crew of a submarine]

We report the apparent spread of mycobacterial tuberculosis among a submarine crew from a crew member with a low grade of infectivity. The air-conditioning system of submarines requires completely closed recirculation of ambient air. If a person with pulmonary tuberculosis were in a submarine, one would expect to find a high incidence of tuberculosis among others on the ship. The index patient was a 35-year-old member of a submarine crew. An abnormal shadow was found on a chest roentgenogram during an annual medical checkup, and he was hospitalized for examination. Acid-fast bacilli were found in his gastric secretions, but he did not complain of coughing and no tuberculosis bacilli were found in his sputum. All members of the submarine crew were examined, and some who were on board with the index patient reacted strongly. Because those who were also suspected to be infected were usually not close to the index patient's living quarters and had little contact with the patient in the submarine, we strongly suspect that the closed ventilation system contributed to the spread of the infection. Control of tuberculosis in a sealed environment requires detailed investigation of the environment and completion of chemoprophylaxis. Adequate ventilation and ultraviolet radiation are more effective than decontamination with disinfectants for the control of infectious droplet nuclei. Ships should be equipped with those systems.