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. 2002 Nov;8(11):1216–1223. doi: 10.3201/eid0811.020419

Table 3. Demographic, clinical, and risk characteristics of 53 source patients with tuberculosis (TB) identified from public health investigationsa.

Source patient characteristics No. (%)
Age group, yrs
15–24 11 (21)
25–44 28 (53)
45–64 10 (19)
65+ 4 (8)
Female 24 (45)
Race or ethnicity
Black, non-Hispanic 22 (42)
Hispanic 24 (45)
Asian 5 (9)
Native American or Alaskan Native 2 (4)
Foreign-bornb 27 (51)
Bacteriologic results, sputum
Smear positive/culture positive 42 (79)
Smear positive/culture negative 1 (2)
Smear negative/culture positive 8 (15)
Smear not done/culture not done 2 (4)
Cavitary chest radiographc 33 (63)
Provider type
Health department 31 (58)
Private provider 11 (11)
Both 11 (11)
Directly observed therapyd 47 (71)
Previous diagnosis of TB 5 (9)
Drug-resistant isolatee 5 (9)

aThree source patients were identified as the source of infection for more than one culture-confirmed patient who was <5 years of age in the sentinel study population; two source patients transmitted to two children, and one transmitted to three children.
bCountry of origin was Mexico for 14 (26%) of the foreign-born patients.
cResults unknown for one patient.
dCompared to patients on self-administered therapy.
eDrug resistance on initial testing of isolate; resistance to at least one of the following: isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, pyrazinamide, streptomycin, and ethionamide. Testing results for one or more drugs could have been unknown or not done. Excludes one source patient for whom drug susceptibility testing was not done.