Study Focuses on Air Flow in Spread of TB

Improving indoor air flow might help reduce the risk of spreading tuberculosis (TB), a new study suggests. The study was done in Cape Town, South Africa. TB is common and increasing in that area. Researchers measured carbon dioxide in the air of Cape Town high schools. They calculated that 1,000 parts per million of carbon dioxide indicates a high amount of rebreathed air. Researchers found that students spent almost 60% of their day in rooms with air like this. The high level of rebreathed air was caused by poor ventilation. It also showed an increased risk of spreading TB through the air. The journal PLOS ONE published the study online May 7.