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.
Highlights
Is one of the European countries with a low incidence of tuberculosis
Subjects were divided into students with a negative TST test (Mantoux), those with a positive TST test only, and those who tested positive to both TST and Quantiferon-TB test (QFT)-IT
The sample consisted almost exclusively of Italians, with only eight foreigners, we found in the Undergraduate Medical Students (UMS) group one positive student from a high incidence country (Ukraine), which he had visited before his hospital training, while none of the foreigners in the postgraduate medical students (PMSs)
Summary
Is one of the European countries with a low incidence of tuberculosis. ‘Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 20190 showed a notification rate of 6.5 per 100,000 population in Italy in 2017, with a mean annual change in the notification rate of −0.6%. The report showed a TB mortality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 population in Italy in 2017 [1]. 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. Students with a positive TST result underwent a Quantiferon-TB test (QFT). 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).
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