Abstract
Throughout history, tuberculosis has been spread by the movement of human populations. Modern travel continues to be
associated with risk of tuberculosis infection and disease. TB transmission has been documented on commercial aircraft, from
personnel or passengers to other personnel and passengers, but the risk of transmission is low. As in other settings, the likelihood of
transmission is proportional to duration and proximity of contact. Travellers from low incidence to high incidence countries have an
appreciable risk of acquiring TB infection similar to that of the general populations in the countries they visit, but the risk is higher if
they work in health care. Two-step tuberculin skin testing prior to departure, followed by single-step tuberculin testing after return,
is recommended for all such travellers. For travellers from high incidence to low incidence countries the risk of acquiring new TB
infection is low. Tuberculin screening is not beneficial and not recommended. Chest X-ray screening is expensive and complex but
may be beneficial for long-term migrants. For short-term travellers, such as the pilgrims to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, there is no
practical or feasible intervention to detect or prevent TB. Emphasis should be placed on public awareness and education campaigns
to facilitate passive diagnosis of symptomatic cases. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) continues to be a common concern for the
global traveller.
Tuberculosis in association with travel