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Cross-border patients with tuberculosis

Paul N Reynolds, John D Turnidge, Thomas Gottlieb and Michael J Moore
Med J Aust 2011; 195 (9): . || doi: 10.5694/mja11.10945
Published online: 7 November 2011

Position statement from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, Australian Society for Microbiology, Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases and Public Health Association of Australia

Many high-income countries with a low incidence of tuberculosis (TB) are confronting the complicated issue of the cross-border movement of people with TB from neighbouring low-income countries with a high burden of TB. Well documented examples where this is an issue include the United States–Mexico border and Scandinavian countries adjacent to Russia and the Baltic States.1,2 In Australia, we face similar dilemmas, not only with Papua New Guinea (PNG) nationals crossing into the Torres Strait Protected Zone, but also with fisherpersons illegally entering our territory, temporary residents on short-term work visas and students attending tertiary education institutions.


  • 1 Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, Sydney, NSW.
  • 2 Australian Society for Microbiology, Melbourne, VIC.
  • 3 Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases, Sydney, NSW.
  • 4 Public Health Association of Australia, Canberra, ACT.



Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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  • 5. Tuberculosis Coalition for Technical Assistance. International standards for tuberculosis care. The Hague: TCTA, 2006.
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  • 7. Green Light Committee. Application instructions. Geneva: WHO, 2010. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2010/WHO_HTM_TB_2010.1_eng.pdf (accessed Oct 2011).
  • 8. Schwartzman K, Oxlade O, Barr RG, et al. Domestic returns from investment in the control of tuberculosis in other countries. N Engl J Med 2005; 353: 1008-1020.

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