Evaluation of Young Children in Contact With Adult Multidrug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A 30-Month Follow-up

Abstract

Setting. The Western Cape Province of South Africa, an area with a high tuberculosis (TB) incidence, where initial multidrug resistance (MDR) among adult TB cases was 1.1% during 1992–1993.

Objective. To determine the long-term prevalence of TB infection and disease in children in household contact with adults with MDR pulmonary TB, and to establish the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis in preventing disease in these children.

Method. Children <5 years old in contact with 73 MDR TB adults were evaluated. Disease was treated by prescribing at least 2 drugs to which the adult’s strain was susceptible. The remaining children were classified as infected or noninfected and received chemoprophylaxis according to the index’s strain susceptibility or were followed up and treated when indicated. All were followed up for 30 months.

Results. At the initial evaluation 125 children were seen, median age 27.5 months. Of these, 119 were followed up. Fourteen (12%) had disease, 61 (51%) were infected only, and 44 (37%) were noninfected. By 30-month follow-up, 29 (24%) had developed disease and 64 (54%) were infected only. Four adult-child pair Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were compared by DNA fingerprinting; 3 were identical. All children who developed TB disease were clinically cured. Two (5%) of 41 children who received appropriate chemoprophylaxis and 13 (20%) of 64 who did not, developed TB during follow-up (odds ratio: 4.97).

Conclusion. The study confirms MDR TB transmission to childhood contacts. Seventy-eight percent of children were infected or developed disease. Appropriate chemoprophylaxis may prevent disease in these children.