Year: 2026 | Month: February | Volume: 16 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 205-219
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260224
A Study of Clinico-Social Profile and Other Factors Associated with Tuberculosis in Household Contacts of Drug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients Through Clinical, Microbiological and Radiological Assessment
Aayushi Saini1, Ravikiran Vithalrao Pimpre2, Sumit Anand3, Suresh Kumar4, Advait Mohan5
1Senior Resident Doctor, Department of Chest and TB, RBIPMT Hospital, Delhi
2Senior Resident Doctor, Department of Chest and TB, RBIPMT Hospital, Delhi
3Senior Medical Officer, Department of Medicine, Swami Dayanand Hospital, Delhi
4Consultant Chest Physician, Department of Chest and TB, RBIPMT Hospital, Delhi
5Senior Resident Doctor, Department of Chest and TB, RBIPMT Hospital, Delhi
Corresponding Author: Dr. Advait Mohan
ABSTRACT
Background and Aims: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global public health concern, with India contributing a substantial proportion of the global burden, particularly of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Household contacts of DR-TB patients are at increased risk of both active TB disease and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), yet data on clinico-social determinants in this high-risk group remain limited. This study aimed to detect active TB disease and LTBI among household contacts of DR-TB patients registered under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) and to identify associated risk factors, including comparison of drug-susceptibility patterns between index cases and affected contacts.
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from January to December 2021 at a tertiary DR-TB centre in Delhi. A total of 130 DR-TB index cases and 229 adult household contacts were enrolled using total enumeration sampling. Household contacts underwent clinical evaluation, nutritional assessment, sociodemographic profiling, Mantoux testing, chest radiography, and microbiological investigations where indicated. Data were analyzed using SPSS v27.0 and GraphPad Prism v5. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and categorical variables as frequency (%). Associations were assessed using t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square test, or Fisher’s exact tests, with p ≤ 0.05 considered significant.
Results: Among household contacts, active TB disease was detected in 12 individuals (5.2%), while LTBI was present in 112 contacts (48.9%). The mean age of contacts was 38.6 ± 15.4 years, with near-equal gender distribution. Among contacts with active TB, 83.3% were drug-resistant. Active TB disease was significantly associated with prolonged daily exposure (>9 hours), bed sharing, room sharing, absence of BCG scar, and undernutrition, whereas LTBI showed no significant association with demographic, nutritional, or socioeconomic variables.
Conclusion: Household contacts of DR-TB patients bear a substantial burden of TB infection and disease. Exposure-related factors and absence of BCG vaccination play a critical role in progression to active TB, underscoring the need for intensified contact screening, early diagnosis, and targeted preventive strategies.
Key words: Tuberculosis; Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis; Household Contacts; Latent Tuberculosis; Risk Factors; Contact Tracing