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

PLoS One. 2021 Jun 1;16(6):e0252307. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252307. eCollection 2021.

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 index of ≥ 30 and marriage were associated with an increased risk of LTBI. Underweight (body mass index of ≤ 18 and below) and normal body mass index had no association with increased risk of LTBI.

Conclusion: LTBI is high among health care workers in Afghanistan. We recommend instituting infection control measures in health facilities and screening workers for timely TB diagnosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Afghanistan / epidemiology
  • Community Health Workers / statistics & numerical data*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Latent Tuberculosis / epidemiology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged

Grants and funding

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded this study through the Challenge TB project under cooperative agreement number AID-OAA-A-14-00029, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria provided funding for this study. The contents of the article are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US government, or the Global Fund . The publication fee is covered by the USAID funded Sustainable Technical and Analytic Resources (STAR) project, through Public Health Institute (PHI).