Risk of Latent TB Infection in Individuals Employed in the Healthcare Sector in Germany: a Multicentre Prevalence Study

Overview

Journal BMC Infect Dis

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2010 May 1

PMID 20429957

Citations 33

Authors

Anja Schablon

Melanie Harling

Roland Diel

Albert Nienhaus

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers are still recognised as a high-risk group for latent TB infection (LTBI). Therefore, the screening of people employed in the healthcare sector for active and LTBI is fundamental to infection control programmes in German hospitals. It was the aim of the study to determine the prevalence and putative risk factors of LTBI.

Methods: We tested 2028 employees in the healthcare sector with the QuantiFERON-Gold In-tube (QFT-IT) test between December 2005 and May 2009, either in the course of contact tracing or in serial testing of TB high-risk groups following German OSH legislation.

Results: A positive IGRA was found in 9.9% of the healthcare workers (HCWs). Nurses and physicians showed similar prevalence rates (9.7% to 9.6%). Analysed by occupational group, the highest prevalence was found in administration staff and ancillary nursing staff (17.4% and 16.7%). None of the individuals in the trainee group showed a positive IGRA result. In the different workplaces the observed prevalence was 14.7% in administration, 12.0% in geriatric care, 14.2% in technicians (radiology, laboratory and pathology), 6.5% in admission ward staff and 8.3% in the staff of pulmonary/infectious disease wards. Putative risk factors for LTBI were age (>55 years: OR14.7, 95% CI 5.1-42.1), being foreign-born (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.4-2.8), TB in the individual's own history (OR 4.96, 95% CI 1.99-12.3) and previous positive TST results (OR 3.5, 95% CI 2.4-4.98). We observed no statistically significant association with gender, BCG vaccination, workplace or profession.

Conclusion: The prevalence of LTBI in low-incidence countries depends on age. We found no positive IGRA results among trainees in the healthcare sector. Incidence studies are needed to assess the infection risk. Pre-employment screening might be helpful in this endeavour.

Citing Articles

Tuberculosis infection status and risk factors among health workers: an updated systematic review.

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Tuberculosis Infection Screening in 5468 Italian Healthcare Students: Investigation of a Borderline Zone Value for the QFT-Test.

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Erawati M, Andriany M J Multidiscip Healthc. 2020; 13:197-206.

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Risk of Occupational Latent Tuberculosis Infection among Health Personnel Measured by Interferon-Gamma Release Assays in Low Incidence Countries-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Peters C, Kozak A, Nienhaus A, Schablon A Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020; 17(2).

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Screening for Latent Tuberculosis among Healthcare Workers in an Egyptian Hospital Using Tuberculin Skin Test and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Test.

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