Abstract
Background Charcoal production is a significant economic activity in Ghana. However, there is scarcity of data on the risk of acquiring Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among charcoal producers in Ghana, even though persistent smoke exposure is a known predisposition factor. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited 40 charcoal producers: 6 males and 34 females. Two sets of early morning sputum samples were collected from each participant and examined for the presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) using fluorescent microscopy. Structured questionnaires were used to retrieve demographic data from each participant. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and presented as frequencies and proportions. Categorical variables were compared using Chi-square test. Significant difference was identified as p < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval. Results Overall, 2/40 (5%) of the participants demonstrated AFB in their sputum. All participants with AFB positive sputum were females and had 6–10 years of experience in charcoal production. Whereas coughing was the most self-reported symptom by the charcoal producers, none complained of blood in sputum. Also, only 9/40 (22.5%) had knowledge about the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infection risk associated with charcoal production. Moreover, 62.5% (25/40) of participants had no formal education. Conclusion Education on personal protection equipment must be a public health priority in these charcoal producers in Ghana as sawdust and smoke exposure may predispose charcoal producers to acquisition of tuberculosis.
Highlights
Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health problem caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Majority of the males were within the age groups 15 to 24 years and 35 to 44 years whereas most of the females were within the age group 35 to 44 years
Whereas most [3/8 (37.5%)] of the participants who had knowledge about TB were within the age group 25–34 years, only 12.5% (1/8) of participants within the age group of 45–54 years had knowledge about TB
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health problem caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2014, there were 9.6 million cases of active TB which resulted in 1.5 million deaths with more than 95% of the deaths occurring in developing countries [1]. Charcoal production is a significant economic activity in Ghana. There is scarcity of data on the risk of acquiring Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among charcoal producers in Ghana, even though persistent smoke exposure is a known predisposition factor. All participants with AFB positive sputum were females and had 6–10 years of experience in charcoal production. Only 9/40 (22.5%) had knowledge about the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infection risk associated with charcoal production. Education on personal protection equipment must be a public health priority in these charcoal producers in Ghana as sawdust and smoke exposure may predispose charcoal producers to acquisition of tuberculosis
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