Tuberculosis prevention in healthcare workers in China 10 years after the severe acute respiratory syndrome pandemic

Deng, Yunfeng; Li, Yan; Wang, Fengtian; Gao, Dachuan; Li, Liang; Teeter, Larry D.; Graviss, Edward A.; Ma, Xin

Our data suggests that the highly specific T-SPOT.TB assay had a significantly lower rate of positivity among HCWs at the SPCH and LMCH than the TST and when compared with other hospital-based studies in Beijing, China (13.9% versus 33.6% at Beijing Chest Hospital (BCH) and 28.6% in a tertiary general hospital in Beijing) [4, 5] . Compared to the data from BCH, both study HCW populations (SPCH/ LMCH versus BCH) share similarities in distribution of age and sex and occupational levels of exposure to M. tuberculosis. In addition, data from the 2011 Chinese National TB Surveillance Summary suggest the reported prevalence of TB disease in Shandong Province (SPCH/LMCH) and Beijing (BCH) are also similar at 15-44 cases per 100 000 population [6] . Thus, the only major discernible difference between SPCH/LMCH and BCH is the lack of an ISO15189-certified TB reference laboratory and respiratory isolation wards with negative pressure rooms for AFB smear-positive TB patients at the BCH. In conclusion, a proactive and comprehensive strategy for nosocomial infection control practices plays a pivotal role in protecting HCWs from TB infection, which should be implemented in all chest hospital and infectious disease settings in China.