Tuberculosis in a Day-Care Home

Abstract

It has been predicted that tuberculosis, if it occurred in child day-care centers, would spread from adults to children. This mode of spread is in contrast to that of most day-care infections which spread from child-to-child or from child-to-adult. Recognizing the theoretical risk that children might acquire tuberculosis from adult day-care workers, some states have already adopted protective regulations. The present report confirms the prediction of an adult-to-child pathway of tuberculosis transmission in a day-care setting and provides an opportunity to review the current approaches to prevention. DESCRIPTION OF OUTBREAK In August 1984, a 26-year-old Ethiopian man immigrated to the United States; a tuberculin test was positive (18 mm) and a chest roentgenogram showed normal findings.