A recent study in Clinical Infectious Diseases revealed that malnourished individuals in households with tuberculosis (TB) exposure are three times more likely to develop TB, despite not necessarily having a higher risk of initial Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

It was conducted across multiple centers in India and involved 857 household contacts of TB patients diagnosed within two months.

Of these, 27.9% were underweight, with a median age of 29 years, and 59% were females, monitored for 24 months.

During follow-up, 18 new TB cases emerged, with 10 among underweight contacts and four developing early TB with severe malnutrition (BMI <16), resulting in a hazard ratio of 3.16 for TB disease.

The authors stress recognizing malnutrition's role in TB progression to refine transmission models and interventions, urging timely provision of adequate household rations alongside preventive therapy by TB programs.