American Academy of Pediatrics Issues Clinical Report on Testing and Treatment for Tuberculosis Infection in Children

The American Academy of Pediatrics will publish a clinical report, “Tuberculosis Infection in Children and Adolescents: Testing and Treatment,” in the December 2021 issue of Pediatrics to address challenges and medical advances regarding the disease. Every year, approximately 9,000 new cases of tuberculosis (TB) – a rare but contagious disease -- are reported in the United States. Infants and children under age 4 have the highest risk of rapid progression of infection to TB disease—within a few weeks to months. The disease is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which usually attack the lungs, but can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. In most children and adolescents, initial infection with the bacteria is eliminated or contained by host defenses, and the person remains asymptomatic. However, residual bacilli may remain viable and become active again to cause TB disease. The report explains strategies of TB testing for specific medical situations, and treatments to help prevent progression of an infection to the disease.

###

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.