An important mission of these programs is tracing the close contacts of the infected person. It could be a parent, a grandparent, a live-in child care provider, a visitor from a foreign country staying with the family. Once we identify the source, we jump right in. One problem facing physicians is that many foreign-born individuals have had a BCG vaccine before coming to this country. Some are born with it - although that's rare.
Newborns can contract it from an infected mother in their first months of life.
The first thing is vigilance. With one third of the world's population infected with the bacillus, and travel and immigration at an all-time high, no one can be too surprised when a case crops up close to home. Know the symptoms of active disease. If you or your child has been exposed, don't panic. TB is preventable.