When two or more TB cases have similar DNA fingerprints, researchers become concerned about whether recent transmission of TB has occurred. For this reason, when researchers discovered that two TB patients had the same DNA fingerprint, they set out to investigate possible times of exposure between the two patients. They subsequently noticed that the mortician had signed the death certificate of the other patient. The diagnosis of TB was not established in the first patient until after death. This case report suggests that they should be, to prevent the transmission of TB through the embalming process.
Tuberculosis is the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease.
Therapy for tuberculosis requires a multidrug regimen of four drugs. M.D. Funding for the study was provided by the Baltimore City Health Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health.