Needed: New and Better Tools to Combat Latent Tuberculosis Infection
Authors: Henry M. Blumberg
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2008)

Editorials18 November 2008Needed: New and Better Tools to Combat Latent Tuberculosis InfectionHenry M. Blumberg, MDHenry M. Blumberg, MDFrom Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-149-10-200811180-00011 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a major strategy for tuberculosis control in the United States, Canada, and selected resource-intensive countries (1, 2). Given the decline in tuberculosis cases in the United States since 1992, interest in treating patients with LTBI is renewed in order to eliminate the large reservoir of individuals at risk for progression to tuberculosis (1, 3). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such professional organizations as the American Thoracic Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and others (13) recommend targeted testing of persons at increased risk for tuberculosis and provision of therapy ...References1. . Targeted tuberculin testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. American Thoracic Society. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2000;49:1-51. [PMID: 10881762] MedlineGoogle Scholar2. Canadian Thoracic Society and Public Health Agency of Canada. Canadian Tuberculosis Standards, 6th ed. 2007. Accessed at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tbpc-latb/pubs/pdf/tbstand07_e.pdf on 15 October 2008. Google Scholar3. Blumberg HM, Leonard MK, and Jasmer RM. Update on the treatment of tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infection. JAMA. 2005;293:2776-84. [PMID: 15941808] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Sterling TR. New approaches to the treatment of latent tuberculosis. Semin Respir Crit Care Med. 2008;29:532-41. 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[PMID: 18230241] MedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Henry M. Blumberg, MDAffiliations: From Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303.Grant Support: By the National Institutes of Health/Fogarty International Center (D43TW007124) and National Institutes of Health/National Center for Research Resources (UL1RR025008).Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: Henry M. Blumberg, MD, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, 49 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30303; e-mail, [email protected]. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoAdverse Events with 4 Months of Rifampin Therapy or 9 Months of Isoniazid Therapy for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Dick Menzies , Richard Long , Anete Trajman , Marie-Jose Dion , Jae Yang , Hamdan Al Jahdali , Ziad Memish , Kamran Khan , Michael Gardam , Vernon Hoeppner , Andrea Benedetti , and Kevin Schwartzman Metrics 18 November 2008Volume 149, Issue 10Page: 761-763KeywordsAdverse eventsAdverse reactionsAlanineAminotransferasesClinical trialsDeath ratesDiabetes mellitusDrug interactionsDrugsHIV infectionsImmunosuppressivesInfectious diseasesIsoniazidMedical risk factorsMycobacterium tuberculosisPrevention, policy, and public healthRenal failureSilicosisTuberculosis ePublished: 18 November 2008 Issue Published: 18 November 2008 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2008 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...