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Tuberculosis outbreak in a Texas prison, 1994

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

D. Bergmire-Sweat ,
B. J. Barnett ,
S. L. Harris ,
J. P. Taylor ,
G. H. Mazurek  and
V. Reddy
D. Bergmire-Sweat*
Affiliation:
Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756
S. L. Harris
Affiliation:
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
J. P. Taylor
Affiliation:
Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756
G. H. Mazurek
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
V. Reddy
Affiliation:
University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
*
* Correspondence and requests for reprints: David Bergmire-Sweat, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756, USA.
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In 1994 a Texas prison containing a population of mentally retarded inmates experienced a large tuberculosis outbreak. Fifteen cases of tuberculosis were identified (8 confirmed by positive cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and more than 100 inmates became infected. The culture-confirmed patients were infected with an identical strain of tuberculosis as demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based DNA fingerprinting technique. The prison followed standard tuberculosis infection control policies, but these controls were inadequate to prevent tuberculosis transmission in this special population. Two hundred and thirty inmates (119 inmates showing evidence of new tuberculosis infection or active disease and 111 healthy controls) were enrolled in the investigation. Inmate cell assignments, job duties, and educational classes were identified and medical chart reviews were conducted on all inmates. Tuberculosis transmission was associated with residing on the D Wing of the prison (OR = 25·84, P < 0·01), attending school in Classroom A (OR = 8·34, P = 0·01) and working on the prison utility work crew (OR = 2·52, P < 0·01). The index case in the outbreak had been prescribed 6 months of isoniazid (INH) chemoprophylaxis in 1988.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 117 , Issue 3 , December 1996 , pp. 485 - 492
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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