Rate of latent tuberculosis infection detected by occupational health screening of nurses new to a london teaching hospital

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2009 Jun;30(6):581-4. doi: 10.1086/597546.

Abstract

The prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in a cohort of nurses new to a London hospital was 7.6% (13 of 171), using an interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) release assay, and 16.2% (24 of 148), using the tuberculin skin test. On multivariate analysis, birth in a country with tuberculosis prevalence of more than 40 cases per 100,000 population was associated with positive results of both the IFN-gamma release assay and the tuberculin skin test.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Teaching / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
  • London / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / methods*
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / statistics & numerical data*
  • Occupational Health / statistics & numerical data*
  • Prevalence
  • Tuberculin Test
  • Tuberculosis / diagnosis*
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology*
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Interferon-gamma