Why is contact tracing important in TB control?

• A. To identify and treat exposed individuals and prevent further transmission
• B. To screen only unrelated populations
• C. To reduce testing
• D. To identify drug allergies

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that tracing who was exposed to a person with infectious TB helps break the transmission chain by quickly identifying and evaluating contacts, testing them for latent or active TB, and giving appropriate treatment or preventive therapy. TB spreads through airborne droplets, so every undiagnosed infectious case has the potential to start new infections. By focusing on people who actually had contact, you can find infections earlier, prevent progression in those with latent infection, and start treatment promptly in active cases, which together reduces onward spread in the community.

Screening unrelated populations would waste resources and miss the direct link to the source of transmission. Reducing testing would allow cases to go undetected and transmission to continue. Identifying drug allergies is handled through medical management of the patient, not through tracing of contacts to prevent spread.