Investigating Missed Opportunities for Prevention of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Transmission Within Contacts of Tuberculosis Cases in Shelby County, Tennessee

Since 2010, Tuberculosis (TB) incidence in Shelby County, Tennessee has been steady with little fluctuation. During these years, however, TBincidence has been decreasing in Tennessee and the United States; except for 2015. The discrepancy between these trends may be due to sub-optimal TBprevention and/or treatment measures in Shelby County as compared to Tennessee and the United States. Therefore, it is pertinent to examine factors potentially associated with TB prevention among close contacts of TBcases to assess missed opportunities for prevention and eventually decrease the incidence of TB. Data from Shelby County TB cases during 2013-2015, and their contacts, are analyzed to describe the TB contacts magnitude and calculate number of contacts needed to receive preventive treatment to prevent one new case of TB. The study suggests that for every 100 people who go through preventive therapy, 1.5 individuals may be prevented from developing TB