[Correspondence] Prediction and prevention of tuberculosis in contacts – Authors' reply

We thank Sandra Arend and Jonathan Uzorka for their interest in our study. They argue that because our risk score predicts tuberculosis independently of the contact tuberculin skin test (TST) results and index case smear grade, it is likely that subsequent re-exposure to tuberculosis was an important risk factor. Therefore, they debate the justification for our calculation of numbers needed to treat (NNT) with preventive therapy at the time of known exposure to prevent each tuberculosis case. Although we agree that re-exposure might have been an important, unmeasured risk factor in our population, the highest rate of tuberculosis among contacts was in the first year after known exposure, and nearly all the cases occurred during the first 3 years.

Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - November 23, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Matthew J Saunders, Tom Wingfield, Marco A Tovar, Matthew R Baldwin, Sumona Datta, Carlton A Evans Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research