close contact


close contact

Epidemiology Any person who has been in intimate contact for a period of time with a person with infectious TB

close contact

In public health and infectious diseases, anyone who repeatedly and regularly shares the living space of someone with a contagious disease.

Patient care

The sharing of body fluids and blood with another person constitutes close contact, as does the bathing, clothing, and toileting of the sick person. Close contacts with contagious people may need prophylactic treatment, quarantine, or observation to ensure their health and the health of others. Those who have casual contact with a sick person typically do not require these measures.

See also: contact