Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a High School and School-Based Supervision of an Isoniazid-Rifapentine Regimen for Preventing Tuberculosis - Colorado, 2011-2012.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), is spread from person to person by the airborne route. It can be transmitted extensively in congregate settings, making investigating exposures and treating infected contacts challenging. In December 2011, a student at a Colorado high school with 1,381 students and school personnel received a diagnosis of pulmonary TB disease. One of five household contacts had TB disease, and the other four had latent M. tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Screening of 1,249 school contacts (90%) found one person with pulmonary TB disease, who was fully treated, and 162 with LTBI, of whom 159 started an LTBI treatment regimen for preventing progression to TB disease and 153 completed a regimen. Only the index patient required inpatient care for TB, and TB caused no deaths. Use of short-course treatment regimens, either 12-dose weekly isoniazid and rifapentine directly observed at school or 4 months of self-supervised rifampin daily, facilitated treatment completion. State and county incident command structures led by county TB control authorities guided a response team from multiple jurisdictions. News media reports brought public scrutiny, but meetings with the community addressed the concerns and enhanced public participation. Two contacts of the index patient outside of the school had TB disease diagnosed after the school investigation. As of July 2013, no additional TB disease associated with in-school exposure had been found. An emergency plan for focusing widespread resources, an integral public communications strategy, and new, efficient interventions should be considered in other large TB contact investigations.