High rate of transmission in a pulmonary tuberculosis outbreak in a primary school, north-eastern Italy, 2019

Euro Surveill. 2019 Jun;24(24):1900332. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.24.1900332.

Abstract

Italy is a low-incidence country for tuberculosis (TB). We describe a TB outbreak in a primary school in north-eastern Italy, involving 10 cases of active pulmonary disease and 42 cases of latent infection. The index case was detected in March 2019, while the primary case, an Italian-born schoolteacher, was likely infectious since January 2018. Administration of a pre-employment health questionnaire to school staff with sustained contact with children should be considered in low-incidence countries.

Keywords: Italy; children; contact investigation; health questionnaire; school outbreak; source-finding investigation; tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Disease Outbreaks* / prevention & control
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Schools*
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnostic imaging
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / epidemiology*
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / transmission*