Treatment of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) is essential to controlling and eliminating TB in the United States, because it substantially reduces the risk that TB infection will progress to TB disease. Certain groups are at very high risk of developing TB disease once infected. Once the diagnosis of LTBI has been made, health care providers must choose the most appropriate and effective treatment regimen, and make every effort to ensure those persons complete the entire course of treatment for LTBI.

However, if exposed to and infected by a person with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) or extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB), preventive treatment may not be an option.

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection