The World Health Organization (WHO)’s international guidelines for the control of tuberculosis in relation to air travel require (after a risk assessment) the tracing of passengers who sat for longer than eight hours in rows adjacent to people with pulmonary tuberculosis who are smear-positive or smear-negative. A further recommendation is that all commercial air travel should be prohibited until the person has two consecutive negative sputum smears for drug-susceptible tuberculosis or two consecutive cultures for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
In a new literature review published in the March issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, epidemiologist Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar examines the evidence put forward to support these recommendations and assesses whether such an approach is justifiable. His systematic review identified 39 studies of which 13 were included, and the majority of studies found no evidence of transmission. Only two studies reported reliable evidence of transmission. The analysis suggests that there is reason to doubt the value of actively screening air passengers for infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and that the resources used might be better spent addressing other priorities for the control of tuberculosis.
Reference: Abubakar I. Tuberculosis and air travel: a systematic review and analysis of policy. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 10(3):176-183. March 2010.
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.