Risk of tuberculosis transmission by children in Hamburg, Germany

Background Data from a prospective molecular-epidemiologic study (1997-2021) in Hamburg, Germany, were evaluated to assess the transmission risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (Mtbc) by children Methods Isolates of Mtbc were genotyped whole genome sequencing, applying a core genome multilocus sequence typing scheme. Close contacts of culture-confirmed children were examined for latent Mtbc infections (LTBI) with particular focus on IGRA testing. Results Out of 3154 culture-confirmed tuberculosis (TB) cases, 79 (2.5%) were children Conclusions Children with pulmonary TB disease, especially those aged below 10 years, rarely transmit Mtbc to their close contacts in a low-incidence setting.