Contact Investigation/Contact Tracing

This report summarizes the results of an investigation of the patients and their contacts in Chickasaw County, Mississippi during the period from June 1999 to March 2002, and demonstrates the need for strategies to increase the proportion of infected contacts that successfully complete treatment for latent TB infection (LTBI).

This manual describes the TB field investigation process including pre-investigation preparation, communication with individuals in the field, confidentiality, field safety, and working with community providers. A checklist to be used during field work is also included.

This guide is divided into three major parts. The first part is designed to provide the Contact Investigator with the essential HIV/AIDS information he or she will need when engaging in a family-friendly discussion to encourage TB contacts to agree to HIV counseling and testing. The second is designed to give TB program managers guidelines for implementing a program tailored to their jurisdiction. The third part details a training course that will impart the skills, attitudes, and knowledge one will need to include HIV in tuberculosis contact investigations.

The Effective TB Interviewing for Contact Investigations Materials include a Faciltator-Led Training Guide, Self-Study Modules, and a Videotape. The materials can be used together or on their own. Each material has to be ordered separately from the CDC website order form. This 67-minute videotape demonstrates successful interviewing strategies with TB patients and is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of health care workers who are responsible for conducting TB interviews with patients as part of contact investigations.

This videotape presents a comedic skit that illustrates the complexities involving care of a difficult inmate who has active TB disease and the collaboration needed to identify contacts and treat the inmate to cure. The videotape addresses transmission and infectiousness, medication regimen, length of treatment, and the need for good specimen collection and types of specimens.

This instructional packet includes a series of four print-based modules addressing TB contact investigation, case management, and confidentiality. It also provides information on managing multidrug-resistant TB and on DOT.

This fact sheet gives general information about what a TB contact investigation is and why it is important.

This fact sheet gives general information about what a TB contact investigation is and why it is important.

This fact sheet gives general information about what a TB contact investigation is and why it is important.

This fact sheet gives general information about what a TB contact investigation is and why it is important.