Natural Ventilation as a Key Airborne Infection Control Measure for Tuberculosis Care Facilities: A Review

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease which has a risk of being nosocomial (hospital acquired) by the patients, visitors and the healthcare workers. Healthcare guidelines should highlight the role of architects and engineers in better infection control especially through Natural Ventilation. Research on TB may also be applicable to Measles, SARS-2003 and other air-borne diseases. Hospitals provide valuable information for other public assembly buildings with possible community spread of infection like prisons, homeless shelters, schools, etc. Natural ventilation leading to increased air changes per hour creates Dilutional Ventilation which reduces infection spread as shown in prominent Thai and Peruvian studies. Our under-standing of the transmission of airborne diseases and the behaviour of micro-organisms is still an area of active research. As the Indian built environment is getting increasingly air-conditioned, hermetically sealed and energy efficient, there is scope in this lead study to create awareness among architects on this multi-disciplinary issue.