Another Treatment Option for Contacts of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Levofloxacin has been shown to prevent tuberculosis (TB) in people exposed to multidrug (isoniazid and rifampicin)–resistant (MDR) TB and is recommended by the World Health Organization for this purpose. However, other options are also needed for patients who cannot tolerate levofloxacin or were exposed to fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of TB. To evaluate whether a 6-month isoniazid regimen might be an effective option, researchers pooled data from 6500 individuals (median age, 25) who had been exposed to MDR TB through close contact and followed in one of 17 cohort studies. Only 40% had been tested for latent TB.