Tuberculosis Program

Professional

Screening

For information about employment-related TB skin tests, go to Prevention and Control and select your employment group or location.

The following should be screened for TB infection:

Persons at higher risk for TB exposure or infection:

• Close contacts of persons known or suspected to have TB
• Foreign-born persons, including children, who have immigrated within the last 5 years from areas that have a high TB incidence or prevalence
• Residents and employees of high-risk congregate settings
• Health care workers who serve high-risk clients
• Some medically underserved, low-income populations as defined locally
• High-risk racial or ethnic minority populations defined locally as having an increased prevalence of TB
• Infants, children, and adolescents exposed to adults in high-risk categories
• Persons who inject illicit drugs or any other locally identified high-risk substance users

Persons at higher risk for TB disease once infected:

• Persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Persons who were recently infected with M. tuberculosis (within the past 2 years), particularly infants and very young children
• Persons who have medical conditions known to increase the risk for disease if infection occurs
• Persons who inject illicit drugs or other groups of high-risk substance users
• Persons with a history of inadequately treated TB

CDC instructions on TB skin test administration and classification of TB skin test reactions

Related guidelines, laws, rules, and/or regulations:

State pediatric TB screening recommendations

Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Immunization and Testing for Communicable Diseases for Students Entering Colleges or Universities: Targeted TB skin testing for students from highly endemic countries

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Program (EPSTD): DCYF Program includes TB skin test requirement

Guidelines for Civil Surgeons, 2008. (Posted 4/07/08)