Latent Tuberculosis Infection: Treatment Initiation and Completion Rates in Persons Seeking Immigration and Health Care Workers

We assessed the factors associated with initiation and completion rates of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection treatment in persons evaluated at an infectious diseases outpatient clinic in central Massachusetts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there may be up to 14 million persons in the United States with a latent TB infection. The risk of developing active TB in these persons can range from 5% to 15%. Hence, treatment of latent TB infection is an important aspect of any plan attempting to eradicate TB from the United States.