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Volume 32, Number 4—April 2026

Research

Transmissibility and Disease Progression of Asymptomatic Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection, Lima, Peru

Ruitong Wang, Chuan-Chin Huang, Mercedes C. Becerra, Roger I. Calderon, Carmen C. Contreras, Jerome T. Galea, Judith Jimenez, Leonid Lecca, Rosa M. Yataco, Zibiao Zhang, and Megan B. MurrayComments to Author 
Author affiliation: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (R. Wang, M.B. Murray); Harvard Medical School, Boston (C.-C. Huang, M.C. Becerra, L. Lecca, M.B. Murray); Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston (C.-C. Huang, Z. Zhang, M.B. Murray); Advanced Research and Health, Lima, Peru (R.I. Calderon); Universidad de San Martin de Porres, Lima (R.I. Calderon); Partners In Health—Socios En Salud Sucursal Peru, Lima (C.C. Contreras, J. Jimenez, L. Lecca, R.M. Yataco); University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA (J.T. Galea)

Main Article

Table 1

Characteristics of household contacts <15 years of age by symptom status of tuberculosis index patients in study of transmissibility of asymptomatic Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, Lima, Peru*

Variable
 No. (%) contacts
Total
 Symptomatic index patient
 Asymptomatic index patient
Age group, y, n = 4,296
0–4 1,558 (36.3) 1,502 (36.1) 56 (42.4)
5–9 1,312 (30.5) 1,272 (30.5) 40 (30.3)
10–15
 1,426 (33.2)
 1,390 (33.4)
 36 (27.3)
Sex, n = 4,296
M 2,158 (50.2) 2,091 (50.2) 67 (50.8)
F
 2,138 (49.8)
 2,073 (49.8)
 65 (49.2)
HIV status, n = 4,247
Negative 4,243 (99.9) 4,115 (99.9) 128 (100)
Positive
 4 (0.1)
 4 (0.1)
 0
BCG scar, n = 4,296
No 820 (19.1) 801 (19.2) 19 (14.4)
Yes
 3,476 (80.9)
 3,363 (80.8)
 113 (85.6)
Diabetes, n = 4,283
No 4,281 (99.9) 4,149 (99.9) 132 (100)
Yes
 2 (0.1)
 2 (0.1)
 0
Smoking, n = 4,294
Nonsmoker 4,288 (99.9) 4,156 (99.9) 132 (100)
Smoker
 6 (0.1)
 6 (0.1)
 0
Alcohol consumption, n = 4,293
Nondrinker 4,257 (99.2) 4,126 (99.2) 131 (99.2)
Drinker
 36 (0.8)
 35 (0.8)
 1 (0.8)
BMI category, n = 4,253†
Normal 3,420 (80.4) 3,316 (80.4) 104 (79.4)
Underweight 116 (2.7) 109 (2.6) 7 (5.3)
Overweight 717 (16.9) 697 (16.9) 20 (15.3)

*BCG, bacille Calmette–Guérin; BMI, body mass index. †For participants >19 years of age, we defined underweight as BMI <18.5 kg/m2, normal as 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, and overweight as BMI >25 kg/m2. For participants <19 y, we defined status using World Health Organization BMI-for-age z-scores: underweight z-score <–2, normal z-score –2 to 2, and overweight z-score >2.

Main Article

Page created: March 10, 2026
Page updated: April 15, 2026
Page reviewed: April 15, 2026
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