Dr Nardell’s research interest in airborne infection and its
control began with an outbreak of drug resistant TB in a large
homeless shelter in Boston in 1983 when he was the TB Control
Officer with the City Health Dept. The outbreak demonstrated
that 3 dogmas about TB transmission and pathogenesis were
untrue, earning publication in the New England J. of Medicine.
Despite latent TB infection being common among the homeless, (1)
transmission was occurring, (2) INH resistant TB was
transmissible, and (3) exogenous reinfection occurred. In an
effort to stop transmission Nardell contacted Richard L. Riley,
pioneer researcher of TB transmission and UV air disinfection,
beginning an 18 year collaboration during his retirement.
Together they wrote and published on UV air disinfection
together, and envisioned repeating Riley’s famous Baltimore
guinea pig air sampling study to prove its efficacy once and for
all under rigorous conditions, and to refine its use. With the
1985-1992 resurgence of drug resistant TB in th