Three air travel-related contact investigations associated with infectious tuberculosis, 2007–2008

SummaryBackgroundThe potential for transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during air travel has garnered considerable attention in the media and among public health authorities due to high-profile cases of international travelers with infectious tuberculosis (TB).MethodsDuring 2007 and 2008, state and local health officials were asked to locate and conduct diagnostic follow-up for airline passengers considered contacts of three travelers, two with multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB and one considered highly contagious, who undertook air travel while infectious with TB disease.ResultsPublic health departments in 21 states located and evaluated 79 (60%) of the 131 passenger contacts identified; 52 (40%) were lost to follow-up. Eight (10%) contacts had a history of TB disease or latent TB infection and were not retested. Sixteen (23%) of 71 contacts tested had positive TB test results suggesting latent TB infection, 15 of whom were from countries reporting estimated TB disease rates of greater than 200 cases/100,000 persons.ConclusionsPassenger contacts’ positive test results may represent prior TB infection acquired in their countries of residence or may be a result of new TB infection resulting from exposure during air travel.