Improving the Environmental Controls at a Homeless Shelter to Assist in Reducing the Probability of Airborne Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A Case Study

摘要

This study describes a survey of environmental controls conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center homeless shelter in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MO DHHS) had epidemiologically linked 19 cases of active tuberculosis (TB) to the shelter. MO DHSS requested NIOSH to determine whether improvements could be made to the environmental controls to help reduce the probability of airborne transmission of TB at the shelter. NIOSH investigatorsrnconducted thorough inspections of the shelter's air-handling units (AHUs) and evaluated airflow rates. NIOSH recommended higher efficiency filters be used in the AHUs and installation of ultraviolet lights.