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Contact investigations detect persons exposed to mycobacterium tuberculosis. Persons exposed to an individual with infectious TB disease are at a high risk for acquiring TB infection; and, if these persons or "contacts" acquire TB infection, they are at a further risk for developing TB disease within the first two years after becoming infected with TB. To prevent the development of TB disease and/or to treat the TB infection, it is important to find and treat these contacts. The documents linked below describe and outline the procedural and medical steps in a contact investigation. Also linked below are patient education materials and instructions for administering and reading TB skin tests.
Contact investigations include a review of the patient's medical record, an interview with the index TB patient and a field investigation to identify those exposed to infectious TB disease. If TB transmission into the community is likely, the contact investigation steps also include a risk assessment, prioritizing contacts and testing those most likely to have been exposed and/or those who are at a high risk of developing TB disease if infected with the bacteria.
Guidelines for the Investigation of Contacts of Persons with Infectious Tuberculosis by the CDC
HTML | PDF
How to Conduct a Contact Investigation
The following document uses a flow chart approach in outlining the steps in a contact investigation.
Algorithm on Conducting a Contact Investigation
Patient Education Materials
Click here to access the TB Control's web page with patient education materials. In any contact investigation, as in TB Control, educating the patients and the public are critical in conveying correct, pertinent information about tuberculosis.
Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test
The following links provide practical and theoretical guidelines on conducting the Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test.
Administering, Reading and Interpreting the TB Skin Test - Instructions [ Transcript and Facilitator Notes for the CDC Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test Video (2003)]
[For a free copy of the video, contact TB Control (804-864-7906) or visit the CDC web site: http://www.cdc.gov/tb]
BCG Vaccine and TB Testing Guidelines
Diagnostic Standards and Classification of Tuberculosis in Adults and Children [ Opens new page]