TB in children has been considered a "public health dead end."
- Children don't cough up much bacteria when they are sick, so they don't usually infect other people
- They haven't been considered a "public health threat"
BUT, THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL
- Control of TB in children is an indicator of how well the TB control program is working
- A case of TB in a child is a sentinel event: this means there is active and RECENT transmission of TB in the community
- TB in children provide a window on how the bacteria is being transmitted in a community
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Controlling TB in adults has been considered enough to control TB in children, but it isn't.
- Infected children are the future of adult TB disease. They are the reservoir of disease burden, and represent the cases of adult TB that will need treatment.
- After the bacteria has reached the child, treating adults is not helpful
- It's likely the other way around: providing IPT (Isoniazid/ INH Preventive Therapy) to children and treating children who have TB will prevent future cases of Adult TB
- MILLIONS OF CHILDREN WILL GET SICK AND DIE WHILE WE WAIT FOR ADULT TB CONTROL
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