Prevalence of latent tuberculous infection among adults in the general population of Ca Mau, Viet Nam

G B Marks; N V Nhung; T A Nguyen; N B Hoa; T H Khoa; N V Son; N T B Phuong; D M Tin; J Ho; G J Fox

doi:10.5588/ijtld.17.0550

Prevalence of latent tuberculous infection among adults in the general population of Ca Mau, Viet Nam

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2018 Mar 1;22(3):246-251. doi: 10.5588/ijtld.17.0550.

Authors

G B Marks¹, N V Nhung², T A Nguyen³, N B Hoa⁴, T H Khoa⁵, N V Son⁵, N T B Phuong⁶, D M Tin⁶, J Ho⁷, G J Fox³

Affiliations

¹ Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Hanoi, Viet Nam, South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² National Lung Hospital, Hanoi, National TB Control Programme, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
³ Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Hanoi, Viet Nam, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ National Lung Hospital, Hanoi, National TB Control Programme, Hanoi, Viet Nam, Centre for Operational Research, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France.
⁵ National TB Control Programme, Hanoi, Viet Nam, Centre for Social Disease Control, Ca Mau, Viet Nam.
⁶ Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
⁷ Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Hanoi, Viet Nam, South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney.

PMID: 29471900
DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.17.0550

Abstract

Setting: The study was conducted in a randomly selected sample of persons aged 15 years living in Ca Mau Province, southern Viet Nam.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) in the general adult population of this province of Viet Nam. The secondary objective was to examine age and sex differences in prevalence.

Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a cluster-random sample of the population. Clusters were subcommunes. The presence of LTBI was assessed using the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube test system.

Results: QuantiFERON tests were performed among 1319 persons aged 15 years (77.7% of those selected). The overall prevalence of positive tests was 36.8% (95%CI 33.4-40.3). The prevalence of a positive test was lower in females than in males (31.0% vs. 44.7%, OR 0.57, 95%CI 0.45-0.72, P < 0.0001). The prevalence of positive tests increased with increasing age quintile (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion: More than one third of the general adult population in a province in southern Viet Nam have evidence of LTBI. Although LTBI prevalence is higher in males, the sex difference is not as great as that for TB notification rates.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Interferon-gamma / blood
Latent Tuberculosis / diagnosis*
Latent Tuberculosis / epidemiology*
Male
Middle Aged
Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
Prevalence
Sex Distribution
Sputum / microbiology
Vietnam / epidemiology
Young Adult

Substances

Interferon-gamma