Role of tuberculosis symptoms in transmission risk to cell contacts in prisons.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Understanding determinants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission is critical to devising effective strategies to reduce its burden. Whether and to what extent symptoms influence transmission remains poorly understood.

Methods

Between 2020 and 2022, we systematically screened persons deprived of liberty (PDL) from three prisons in Brazil for tuberculosis (TB) by symptom assessment and sputum testing with Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra. We performed QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT) testing among cell contacts of individuals with TB and in cells with no TB case identified. We evaluated the relationship between TB exposure (symptomatic, asymptomatic and none) and QFT positivity using Bayesian generalised linear mixed models.

Results

We screened 7641 PDL for TB a

SUBMITTER: Bezerra WDSP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12625964 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature