Objective To investigate the awareness rate of knowledge of tuberculosis(TB) prevention and control in TB patients and their close contacts in Panyu District,and to provide the basis for health education and construction of national demonstration area of TB prevention and control in the future.Methods By cluster sampling method,questionnaire survey was carried out to investigate the awareness of TB prevention and control knowledge in TB patients registered for treatment and their close contacts in Panyu District from January to August 2013.Results A total of 783 TB patients and 1 972 close contacts were enrolled in the study,with collection of 760 and 1 905 copies of valid questionnaire,respectively.The general awareness rate of TB core information in TB patients was 66.3％; the awareness rate of TB core information was higher in male TB patients than that in female TB patients (68.4％ vs 63.1％;x2=11.531,P＜0.01).The general awareness rate in close contracts was 69.9％; the awareness rate in male close contacts was higher than that in female close contacts (72.7％ vs 68.2％; x2=21.263,P＜0.01).The awareness rates in 60-88 year-old group were 55.6％ and 60.5％ of TB patients and their close contacts,respectively,which were lower than those of other age groups (x2=16.488,28.197,P＜0.01).Awareness rates in group of educational level at primary school and below were 53.3％ and 60.3％,which were lower than those in other educational level groups (x2=36.967,28.197,P＜0.01).Awareness rates in farmer and unemployed group were 61.3％ and 60.1％,which were lower than those in other occupation groups (x2=21.760,128.625,P＜ 0.01).Conclusions Health education and promotion should focus on farmers or people with primary school and below education or unemployed,or over 60 years old.