Tuberculosis--prevention in travellers.

UNLABELLED: This article on tuberculosis forms part of our travel medicine series for 2010, providing a summary of prevention strategies and vaccinations for infections that may be acquired by travellers. The series aims to provide practical strategies to assist general practitioners in giving travel advice, as a synthesis of multiple information sources which must otherwise be consulted.

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis is a disease of significant worldwide prevalence, morbidity and mortality. Multi-drug resistant and extensively drug resistant strains, poverty, and co-endemic human immunodeficiency virus infection have hampered efforts to reduce transmission worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

To outline risk assessment of tuberculosis infection for travellers and discuss potential interventions.

DISCUSSION: Long term travellers to areas of high tuberculosis incidence are potentially at risk of contracting the disease. Infants and children are particularly at risk of severe complications of tuberculosis. There is no consensus about methods to prevent tuberculosis. Health practitioners need to carefully consider the risks and benefits for their patients. Possible strategies include education, personal protection devices, BCG vaccination, tuberculin (Mantoux) skin testing and testing with newer interferon-gamma release assays.