Prospective genomic surveillance meets tuberculosis infection prevention: A case study and discussion.

BACKGROUND

Suspected healthcare-associated tuberculosis (TB) transmission requires careful investigation due to its implications for infection prevention and public health.

CASE REPORT: We describe a suspected nosocomial TB transmission event that was investigated using whole genome sequencing (WGS). An 83-year-old man with an unexpected diagnosis of pleural TB and suspected pulmonary TB had shared a hospital room with a 52-year-old man undergoing investigation for metastatic lung cancer. The contact later developed pulmonary TB after commencing immunotherapy for pulmonary adenocarcinoma, raising concern for hospital transmission.

CONCLUSIONS

WGS demonstrated that the isolates belonged to different genomic lineages, excluding transmission. This case highlights the value of genomic surveillance in clarifying TB transmission events and guiding infection prevention responses.