Background: Few comprehensive tuberculin surveys were carried out in a homogeneous population of health care workers (HCWs) in a low incidence area to assess the risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection by different occupational groups and units.
Methods: Community and occupational factors and tuberculin skin test (TST) reactivity were determined in 1,755 HCWs.
Results: The overall prevalence of tuberculin reactivity was 6%. Predicting factors for TST reactivity were age >47 years (OR = 2.88), history of household TB contact (OR = 2.41), years of work as HCW (OR = 2.57), physician (OR = 1.88), and working in microbiology (OR = 4.94), dialysis/nephrology (OR = 2.00), gynecology/obstetrics (OR = 2.01). In a multiple regression model working in microbiology [OR = 4.16 (1.27-13.6)], dialysis/nephrology [OR = 2.52 (1.36-4.65)], gynecology/obstetrics [OR = 2.46 (1.24-4.86)] and age >47 years [OR = 1.98 (1.14-3.46)] were significant predictors for infection.
Conclusions: A higher risk of latent infection can be demonstrated in well-defined groups of HCWs.