Comparison of interferon-γ release assay to two cut-off points of tuberculin skin test to detect latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in primary health care workers.

Background: An interferon-γ release assay, QuantiFERON-TB (QFT) test, has been introduced an alternative test for the diagnosis of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Here, we compared the performance of QFT with tuberculin skin test (TST) measured at two different cut-off points among primary health care work (HCW) in Brazil.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among HCWs in four Brazilian cities with a known history of high incidence of TB.

[Prevalence of latent infection of mycobacterium tuberculosis among healthcare students in a public university in Vitória, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil].

This article seeks to determine the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in medical and nursing students of the Federal University of Espirito Santo (UFES) This is a cross-sectional study in which data were collected through a questionnaire assessing personal characteristics, information about tuberculosis, use of preventive measures, etc. This was followed by the application of the tuberculin skin test, with readings after 72 hours by trained nurses, the positive cutoff point for the TST being 10 mm of induration in the 72-hour reading. Participants in the study included 225 volunteers, namely 98 Medical students and 127 Nursing students.