Immigration screening for latent tuberculosis infection

To the Editor: The recent article by Denholm brings timely attention to the importance of screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in at-risk populations.1 Currently, screening for LTBI is targeted to patients who are thought to be at highest risk of reactivation, including patients infected with HIV and those receiving immunomodulator therapies. Given that the greatest risk factor for active TB in Australia is immigration from a region where TB is endemic, it seems reasonable to screen immigrants from endemic areas.