Tuberculosis (TB) is transmitted by close contact with an infectious
person. It is assumed that close contact
occurs amongst household members and
that contact outside the house is �casual�
and does not play a major role in the
transmission of TB. This study was conducted in an
impoverished area with a high incidence
of TB and a low HIV seropositive prevalence. Thirty three households with 84 TB
patients were identified between February
1993 and April 1996 and the transmission
of TB was studied by combining Mycobacterium tuberculosis fingerprinting with in
depth sociological interviews.