Latent Tuberculosis Infection among Healthcare Students and Postgraduates in a Mediterranean Italian Area: What Correlation with Work Exposure?

Maria Gabriella Verso, Nicola Serra, Antonina Ciccarello, Benedetta Romanin and Paola Di Carlo
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Maria Gabriella Verso: Occupational Health Unit, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, via del Vespro 143, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Nicola Serra: Statistics Unit—Department of Public Health, University Federico II of Naples, via Sergio Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
Antonina Ciccarello: School of Specialization in Occupational Health, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, via del Vespro 143, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Benedetta Romanin: School of Specialization in Infectious Diseases, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Paola Di Carlo: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Background: Tuberculosis screening is part of the standard protocol for evaluating the risk of infection in healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among students attending various healthcare profession degree courses and postgraduate medical courses at the School of Medicine of the University of Palermo, Italy, and assess the possible professional origin of infection. Methods: In total, 2946 students (2082 undergraduates and 864 postgraduates) took part in a screening program for LTBI between January 2014 to April 2019 using the tuberculin skin test (TST). Students with a positive TST result underwent a Quantiferon-TB test (QFT). Results: Among the 2082 undergraduates, 23 (1.1%) had a positive TST; the result was confirmed with QFT for 13 (0.62%) of them. Among the 864 postgraduate students, 24 (2.78%) had a positive TST and only 18 (2.08%) showed a positive QTF. Latent tuberculosis infections were significantly more frequent among postgraduates than undergraduates (2.08% > 0.62%, p < 0.0001). There was a higher number of subjects previously vaccinated for TB (18.87% > 0.24%, p < 0.0001), and of vaccinated subjects found positive for TST and QTF (66.67% > 7.69%, p = 0.001) in the postgraduate group. Conclusion: Latent TB is relatively low among medical school students in our geographic area. Nevertheless, this infectious disease must be regarded as a re-emerging biohazard for which preventive strategies are required to limit the risk of infection, especially among exposed workers.

Keywords: medical and nursing students; occupational biohazard; Quantiferon-TB test; latent TB infection; Mantoux skin test (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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