Public health aspects of tuberculosis: supervision of therapy.

The public health objectives of tuberculosis control are to interrupt and to prevent transmission of tubercle bacilli and therapy ultimately eradicate tuberculosis. The methods used in tuberculosis control are "surveillance" and "containment." 56 Surveillance includes a variety of case-finding efforts, maintenance of tuberculosis registers, and the continued collection of epidemiologic data on frequency of disease and distribution through the community. Containment impose a responsibility on the professional to insure adequate and complete treatment for those individuals capable of spreading disease and preventive treatment for those individuals at high risk of developing contagious disease. Because modern treatment is curative and its administration so easily assured, there is no further need for prolonged follow-up of patients after chemotherapy has been completed.