TB Infectiousness of TB/HIV-Coinfected Patients

Among guinea pigs exposed to air from an HIV/TB ward, nearly all infections acquired by the animals originated from just 8.5% of the ward admissions.

Much of our knowledge about airborne TB transmission comes from experiments performed on guinea pigs during the 1950s. Now, a multinational research group has re-created the guinea pig model to investigate the TB infectiousness of TB/HIV-coinfected patients.

All air from a negative-pressure HIV/TB ward in Lima, Peru, was directed over guinea pigs housed in an airborne-transmission study facility. Monthly tuberculin skin tests were performed on the animals, and positive reactors were removed for autopsy and tissue culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

During the 505-day study period, 97 pulmonary TB patients coinfected with HIV were admitted to the ward (118 total admissions; 1798 patient days). Of the 292 guinea pigs that were exposed to ai…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

TB Infectiousness of TB/HIV-Coinfected Patients

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Reviewing Author