Suspected transmission of tuberculosis in a maternity ward from a smear-positive nurse: preliminary results of clinical evaluations and testing of neonates potentially exposed, Rome, Italy, 1 January to 28 July 2011

Euro Surveill. 2011 Oct 6;16(40):19984. doi: 10.2807/ese.16.40.19984-en.

Abstract

We report preventive measures adopted after tuberculosis(TB) transmission from a nurse to a newborn assessed in late July 2011. All exposed neonates born between January and July 2011 were clinically evaluated and tested by QuantiFERON TB gold in-tube; newborns testing positive were referred for prophylaxis.Of 1,340 newborns, 118 (9%) tested positive and no other active cases of TB were found. Active surveillance for TB will be continued over the next three years for all those exposed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use
  • Contact Tracing
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Family Health
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Pediatric*
  • Hospitals, University*
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient* / prevention & control
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mass Screening
  • Maternal-Child Nursing*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital*
  • Population Surveillance
  • Pregnancy
  • Rome / epidemiology
  • Sputum / microbiology
  • Tuberculin Test
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / prevention & control
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / transmission*
  • Tuberculosis, Splenic / prevention & control
  • Tuberculosis, Splenic / transmission*

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Interferon-gamma