Prevalence and incidence of tuberculosis in health workers: A systematic review of the literature

Objective: To identify the prevalence and incidence of tuberculosis in health workers.

Method: Systematic literature review, according to the protocol of the Joanna Briggs Institute and report following PRISMA guidelines. Primary studies containing data on the incidence or prevalence of active or latent tuberculosis infection in health workers were considered.

Results: 2,310 potentially relevant studies were identified in ten databases, of which 24 were included. The prevalence of latent tuberculosis varied between 0.1% and 62.0%, and the annual incidence rate varied from 1.4% to 11.4%. A meta-analysis combining data from the studies identified the prevalence as 28% (95% CI 21-36). Occupational risk factors are related to direct contact with patients having active tuberculosis, and more years of professional experience.

Conclusions: Evidences show that tuberculosis is an important occupational problem in health care; however, there are still gaps in information about the epidemiology of tuberculosis in health workers, mainly related to the risk factors.