Transmission of tuberculosis in an incarcerated population during the subclinical period: A cross-sectional study in Qingdao, China

Zhongdong Wang; Haoran Li; Song Song; Haiyan Sun; Xiaoqi Dai; Meng Chen; Honghong Xu; Huaqiang Zhang; Yu Pang

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1098519

Transmission of tuberculosis in an incarcerated population during the subclinical period: A cross-sectional study in Qingdao, China

Front Public Health. 2023 Jan 25:11:1098519. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1098519. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zhongdong Wang¹, Haoran Li², Song Song¹, Haiyan Sun¹, Xiaoqi Dai¹, Meng Chen¹, Honghong Xu¹, Huaqiang Zhang¹, Yu Pang²

Affiliations

¹ Qingdao Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao, China.
² Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Objectives: As a closed gathering place, prison is the cradle of tuberculosis (TB) outbreak. Therefore, the analysis of the prevalence rate and risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in prison will be a necessary measure to intervene in the spread of tuberculosis.

Methods: In this study, we consecutively recruited 506 adult prisoners in Qingdao to carry out this cross-sectional study. TB and LTBI were screened by IGRA, X-ray, X-pert, sputum smear and culture.

Results: A total of 17 TB, 101 LTBI and 388 HC were identified, with an infection rate of 23.32% (118/506) and a TB incidence rate of 3282/100,000 population. Age, malnutrition and inmates living with TB prisoners were risk factors for LTBI. Additionally, most TB cases (70.59%, 12/17) were subclinical tuberculosis (STB), contributing significantly to TB transmission.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the transmission efficiency of asymptomatic patients is not essentially different from that of symptomatic patients, indicating that TB transmission occurs during the subclinical period. Our findings highlight the need to strengthen active case-finding strategies to increase TB case detection in this population.

Keywords: cross-sectional study; incarcerated population; subclinical period; transmission; tuberculosis.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Adult
China / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Latent Tuberculosis* / diagnosis
Latent Tuberculosis* / epidemiology
Prisoners*
Tuberculosis* / diagnosis
Tuberculosis* / epidemiology
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary* / epidemiology

Grants and funding

The current work received support from the Beijing Hospitals Authority Ascent Plan (DFL20191601).