Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection among health workers in Afghanistan: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

About 26% of the world's population may have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Health care workers are a high-risk category because of their professional exposure.

Methods

This cross-sectional study assessed the LTBI burden among health care workers in Afghanistan, a high-TB-burden country. We selected health facilities using a systematic sampling technique and invited all workers at the targeted health facilities to participate. Participants were interviewed about sociodemographic and exposure variables and received tuberculin skin tests for LTBI.

Results

Of the 4,648 health care workers invited to participate, 3,686 had tuberculin skin tests. The prevalence of LTBI was found to be 47.2% (1,738 workers). Multivariate analysis showed that a body mass in

SUBMITTER: Qader GQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8168887 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature