Evaluation of public transportation as a risk factor for active tuberculosis in Lima, Peru

Abstract

Public transportation is a potential source of community transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). We conducted an observational study in Lima, Peru to examine the association between use of public transportation by TB patients and by three matched control groups. For non-transportation workers, the risk of developing pulmonary tuberculosis increased 25% for each increase in quintile of time spent in public transportation per week, underscoring the importance of public health interventions to reduce transmission of TB in crowded public transportation environments.