World Health Organization

Recommendations for investigating contacts of persons with infectious tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries World Health Organization

Tuberculosis (TB) contacts are people who have close contact with patients with infectious TB. As they are at high risk for infection (and in line with the Stop TB strategy), TB contacts should be investigated systematically and actively for TB infection and disease. Such interventions are called "tuberculosis contact investigations". They contribute to early identification of active TB, thus decreasing its severity and reducing transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to others, and identification of latent TB infection (LTBI), to allow preventive measures.

This WHO policy document was prepared to guide national TB program staff and all agencies and organizations involved in TB prevention, care and control to establish strategies for sound TB contact investigation practices. The document was elaborated after an extensive literature review and with contributions from experts around the world. It states the fundamental principles and procedures for an appropriate approach to TB contact investigation, and annexes 1 and 2 provide further details to understand these principles. The hope is that these evidence-based guidelines will be translated into country policy and practice, so that an additional neglected intervention can be put in place and, ultimately, contribute to elimination of TB.