Mycobacterial Diseases
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-1068
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-1068
+44 1478 350008
Nicola Mulder
South Africa
Research Article
Seminal Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in vivo Transmission Studies: Reanalysis
Using Probabilistic Modelling
Author(s): Chacha M. Issarow, Robin Wood and Nicola MulderChacha M. Issarow, Robin Wood and Nicola Mulder
Much of our current knowledge of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) transmission originates from seminal human-to-guinea pig in vivo studies, carried out in the 1950s. Similar methodology has been used to investigate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection and multidrug resistant TB. However, all these studies have had to reconcile the need to use high facility ventilation rates in order to decrease risks of human-to-human infection while demonstrating human-to-guinea pig transmission. While these studies demonstrate tuberculosis (TB) contagion can be airborne they also estimated extremely low infectivity of TB cases. However, calculated infectivity was based on a theoretical concept of quantal infection and assumed that the guinea pig model was 100% sensitivity for the remote detection of viable TB organisms in highly diluted air exhausted from the facility. High facility venti.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2161-1068.1000217