More needs to be done to support a global approach
to TB control and reduce the risk of TB in migrants
from high-prevalence countries. As TB has a long incubation period, screening is likely to have a limited
impact on the incidence of TB if it only aims to treat
active disease and is only performed prior to or at
entry to a country.1 The treatment of latent infection
among recent migrants from high prevalence countries
is recommended10 and is considered to be a good
use of public health resources; however, high levels of
isoniazid resistance in some foreign-born populations4
and other difficulties with the treatment of latent
infection10 indicate that additional means of TB control
must be strengthened. Ecologic factors that can
predict variation in the incidence of TB among migrant
groups should be used to deliver screening and educational
interventions to high-risk groups to facilitate
the early recognition of TB, minimize transmission
from new infectious cases, and improve the costeffectiveness
of TB control activities.