Management of persons exposed to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Abstract

Recent outbreaks of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have posed challenges for the management of exposed persons. This report offers suggestions for evaluating and managing persons (i.e., contacts) who have been exposed to patients with infectious MDR-TB (TB due to strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to both isoniazid [INH] and rifampin [RIF]), provides background information on alternative preventive therapy regimens with drugs other than INH or RIF, and presents considerations relevant to making a decision to offer one of these alternative regimens.