Medical Notebook: Rise in TB Risk Seen in Certain Itineraries

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Medical Notebook: Rise in TB Risk Seen in Certain Itineraries

Boston Globe Online (12/17/98) P. A3
Tye, Larry

A new study published by the American Lung Association found that California children who had traveled to places with high tuberculosis rates--including Mexico, China, India, and Haiti- -were 3.9 times more likely to have tested positive for TB compared to children who had not traveled. The study of 953 children also indicated that children who had a household visitor from a country with a high TB prevalence were 2.4 times more likely to test positive for the disease. Dr. Mark N. Lobato, from the Division of Tuberculosis Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and lead author of the study, noted, "This is the first time anyone has actually shown there's an increased risk." He added that the study applies to adults as well as children.

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