Prevalence and Risk Factors for Tuberculosis Infection among Hospital Workers in Hanoi, Viet Nam
Open Access
- 27 August 2009
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 4 (8), e6798
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006798
Abstract
Transmission of tuberculosis (TB) to health care workers (HCWs) is a global issue. Although effective infection control measures are expected to reduce nosocomial TB, HCWs' infection has not been assessed enough in TB high burden countries. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of TB infection and its risk factors among HCWs in Hanoi, Viet Nam. A total of 300 HCWs including all staff members in a municipal TB referral hospital received an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-TubeTM, followed by one- and two-step tuberculin skin test (TST) and a questionnaire-based interview. Agreement between the tests was evaluated by kappa statistics. Risk factors for TB infection were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Among the participants aged from 20 to 58 years (median = 40), prevalence of TB infection estimated by IGRA, one- and two-step TST was 47.3%, 61.1% and 66.3% respectively. Although the levels of overall agreement between IGRA and TST were moderate, the degree of agreement was low in the group with BCG history (kappa = 0.29). Working in TB hospital was associated with twofold increase in odds of TB infection estimated by IGRA. Increased age, low educational level and the high body mass index also demonstrated high odds ratios of IGRA positivity. Prevalence of TB infection estimated by either IGRA or TST is high among HCWs in the hospital environment for TB care in Viet Nam and an infection control program should be reinforced. In communities with heterogeneous history of BCG vaccination, IGRA seems to estimate TB infection more accurately than any other criteria using TST.Keywords
This publication has 27 references indexed in Scilit:
- Systematic Review: T-Cell–based Assays for the Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection: An UpdateAnnals of Internal Medicine, 2008
- Household Survey in Two Provinces in Viet Nam Estimates HIV Prevalence in an Urban and a Rural PopulationAIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 2008
- Interferon-Gamma Release Assay for the Diagnosis of Latent TB Infection – Analysis of Discordant Results, when Compared to the Tuberculin Skin TestPLOS ONE, 2008
- Prevalence and risk factors for latent tuberculosis infection among health care workers in Georgia.2008
- Diabetic Control and Risk of Tuberculosis: A Cohort StudyAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 2008
- A survey of tuberculosis prevalence in Hanoi, Vietnam.2007
- Meta-analysis: New Tests for the Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection: Areas of Uncertainty and Recommendations for ResearchAnnals of Internal Medicine, 2007
- Rates of Latent Tuberculosis in Health Care Staff in RussiaPLoS Medicine, 2007
- False-positive tuberculin skin tests: what is the absolute effect of BCG and non-tuberculous mycobacteria?2006
- Tuberculosis epidemiology in six provinces of Vietnam after the introduction of the DOTS strategy.2006