Tuberculosis Transmission and Use of Methamphetamines in Snohomish County, WA, 1991–2006

Bibliographic Data

ID11023490
AuthorsEric S Pevzner (Eric Pevzner, Rachel Friedman, Kashef Ijaz, and John Oeltmann are with the Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Susan Robison, Jenny Donovan, Donna Allis, and Chris Spitters are with the Snohomish Health District, Everett, WA. Chris Spitters is also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.), Eric Pevzner (Twitter (United States)), Susan Robison (Eric Pevzner, Rachel Friedman, Kashef Ijaz, and John Oeltmann are with the Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Susan Robison, Jenny Donovan, Donna Allis, and Chris Spitters are with the Snohomish Health District, Everett, WA. Chris Spitters is also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.), Jenny Donovan (0000-0002-6488-5472, Eric Pevzner, Rachel Friedman, Kashef Ijaz, and John Oeltmann are with the Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Susan Robison, Jenny Donovan, Donna Allis, and Chris Spitters are with the Snohomish Health District, Everett, WA. Chris Spitters is also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.), Donna Allis (Eric Pevzner, Rachel Friedman, Kashef Ijaz, and John Oeltmann are with the Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Susan Robison, Jenny Donovan, Donna Allis, and Chris Spitters are with the Snohomish Health District, Everett, WA. Chris Spitters is also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.), Chris Spitters (Eric Pevzner, Rachel Friedman, Kashef Ijaz, and John Oeltmann are with the Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Susan Robison, Jenny Donovan, Donna Allis, and Chris Spitters are with the Snohomish Health District, Everett, WA. Chris Spitters is also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.), Rachel Friedman (0000-0003-4988-3652, Eric Pevzner, Rachel Friedman, Kashef Ijaz, and John Oeltmann are with the Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Susan Robison, Jenny Donovan, Donna Allis, and Chris Spitters are with the Snohomish Health District, Everett, WA. Chris Spitters is also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.), Kashef Ijaz (Eric Pevzner, Rachel Friedman, Kashef Ijaz, and John Oeltmann are with the Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Susan Robison, Jenny Donovan, Donna Allis, and Chris Spitters are with the Snohomish Health District, Everett, WA. Chris Spitters is also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.), John E Oeltmann (0000-0002-9728-8746, Eric Pevzner, Rachel Friedman, Kashef Ijaz, and John Oeltmann are with the Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Susan Robison, Jenny Donovan, Donna Allis, and Chris Spitters are with the Snohomish Health District, Everett, WA. Chris Spitters is also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.)
Year2010
Volume100
Issue12
Pages2481-2486
Publication date2010-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2009.162388
PMID20167896
PMCIDPMC2978177
OpenAlexW2168938167
LanguageEN
References cited24

Objectives. We investigated a cluster of tuberculosis (TB) cases among persons using methamphetamines in Snohomish County, Washington, to determine the extent of the outbreak, examine whether methamphetamine use contributed to TB transmission, and implement strategies to prevent further infections. Methods. We screened contacts to find and treat persons with TB disease or infection. We then formed a multidisciplinary team to engage substance abuse services partners and implement outreach strategies including novel methods for finding contacts and a system of incentives and enablers to promote finding, screening, and treating patients with TB and their infected contacts. Results. We diagnosed and completed treatment with 10 persons with TB disease. Eight of 9 adult patients and 67% of their adult contacts reported using methamphetamines. Of the 372 contacts, 319 (85.8%) were screened, 80 (25.1%) were infected, 71 (88.8%) started treatment for latent infection, and 57 (80.3%) completed treatment for latent infection. Conclusions. Collaborative approaches integrating TB control, outreach, incentives, and enablers resulted in high rates of treatment adherence and completion among patients and infected contacts. TB control programs should collaborate with substance abuse programs to address addiction, overcome substance abuse–related barriers to treatment, treat TB, and prevent ongoing transmission

Family medicine · Outbreak · Outreach · Pathology · Psychiatry · Substance abuse · Transmission (telecommunications) · Tuberculosis · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Medicine · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology · Virology