Isoniazid prophylaxis among Alaskan Eskimos: a progress report.

Abstract

Two isoniazid prophylaxis programs were conducted in the Bethel area of Alaska: a placebo-controlled trial started in 1957, and a community-wide administration of isoniazid in 1964. In both programs, the recommended dose of isoniazid was 4 to 8 mg per kg of body weight taken in a single daily dose for one year. Tuberculosis case rates in the period from 1964 through 1973 indicate that the effectiveness of isoniazid prophylaxis persisted through the fifteenth year after its administration. The results of this and other studies raise the possibility that six months of the standard daily dose of isoniazid may be sufficient for prophylaxis.