Tuberculosis outbreak on an American Indian reservation--Montana, 2000-2001.

During May 2000-January 2001, five tuberculosis (TB) cases, linked by contact and DNA fingerprinting, were reported from the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in rural Montana. Before this, only one case of TB had been reported from the reservation since 1992. To determine the cause of the outbreak, the Fort Belknap Tribal Health Department and the Indian Health Service (IHS) conducted an investigation and requested assistance from the Montana State Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and CDC to improve case finding and medical management of persons with TB. This report summarizes the results of the investigation and demonstrates how, in low incidence areas, rapid expansion of local capacity for TB control is critical to eliminate TB in the United States.