A detective donned a laboratory coat and pretended to be taking samples of prisoners' saliva for tuberculosis tests.

"Don't worry," she told John Paul Rysiejko, 6, who looked fearful of a tuberculosis test.

It is a typical morning, and Darlene Cadigan is chugging through the house, checking the results of tuberculosis tests from her last visit.

The passengers are being advised to have tuberculosis tests immediately, and to have follow-up tests in several weeks.

Other requirements such as a tuberculosis test, and level of experience criteria may also be required.

After examining and cleaning the skin, a small amount of the allergen is injected just under the skin, similar to a tuberculosis test.

For example, he said, New York might want to require coverage for tuberculosis tests because it has seen a resurgence of that disease.

Mandatory tuberculosis tests for all inmates and employees of the prison system will begin tomorrow in an effort to control the new strain, Mr. Flateau said.

The previous tuberculin derivative, Koch's substance, had produced false negative results in tuberculosis tests since the 1890s because of impurities in the material.

Employees at Rikers Island get free tuberculosis tests, although that hardly seems appealing.