Prevention of tuberculosis. Vigilance and infection control strategies are mainstays of efforts.

Until a vaccine is available, efforts to control the spread of TB will continue to rely on the effective use of our currently available tools and the diligence of primary care physicians. Rapid diagnosis, directly observed therapy, public health and infection control measures, and appropriate preventive therapy remain the mainstays of TB control. Physicians in the primary care setting, particularly those serving long-term-care institutions or other high-risk populations, need to be keenly aware of the possibility of TB in their patient population and of the methods available in their community for preventing its spread.