Current management options for latent tuberculosis: A review

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Brianna L Norton, Duke University; David Holland, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2012-12-01
• Publisher: Dove Medical Press
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2012 Norton and Holland, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S29180
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Infection and Drug Resistance
• ISSN: 1178-6973
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 163
• End Page: 173
• Keywords: interferon-gamma release assay; rifampin; rifapentine; tuberculin skin test; isoniazid
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, General; Health Sciences, Immunology

Abstract

Tuberculosis remains the world's second leading infectious cause of death, with nearly one-third of the global population latently infected. Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection is a mainstay of tuberculosis-control efforts in low-to medium-incidence countries. Isoniazid monotherapy has been the standard of care for decades, but its utility is impaired by poor completion rates. However, new, shorter-course regimens using rifamycins improve comple- tion rates and are cost-saving compared with standard isoniazid monotherapy. We review the currently available therapies for latent tuberculosis infection and their toxicities and include a brief economic comparison of the different regimens.