OBJECTIVE To estimate the risk of tuberculosis infection among community health agents involved in disease control. METHODS A prospective cohort was followed up from April 2007 to May 2008 in the municipality of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Southeastern Brazil. The cohort was composed of 61 community agents, divided between unexposed individuals (n = 37) and exposed individuals (who were followin...

The traditional concept that the tuberculin reaction when positive will remain so for the rest of the patient’s life has been widely accepted for many years. The present study was carried out to detect tuberculosis in its earliest phases by means of a positive tuberculin reaction in individuals who reacted negatively to previous test or tests. These positive patients were then followed by repea...

139 children with bacteriological or histological proof of active tuberculosis were given the Mantoux tuberculin test while they were inpatients at Port Moresby General Hospital. Only half (70) of the children had positive results (induration of at least 5 mm). Of the 35 children under 2 years, 25 (71 %) showed no reaction whatsoever. Malnutrition, assessed by weight for age, did not appear to ...

Holstein Friesian cows and their crossbred progeny on a farm in northern India were tested for tuberculosis (TB) infection using a single intradermal tuberculin test. The results showed that the animals persistently harboured TB infection for periods of two to four years. The recent comparative intradermal tuberculin test revealed that at least five out of nine of these cattle reacted positivel...

To the Editor: In their review article, Getahun et al. (May 28 issue)1 provide a useful overview of issues surrounding latent tuberculosis infection. However, newly published data regarding the performance of the T-SPOT.TB assay call into question the supposition that false conversions and reversions are more common with interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) than with tuberculin skin tests.2 Spec...

CONTEXT Concern about transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on college campuses has prompted some schools to institute tuberculin skin test screening of students, but this screening has never been evaluated. OBJECTIVE To describe tuberculin skin test screening practices and results of screening in colleges and universities in the United States. DESIGN AND SETTING Self-administered mail...

The incidence of tuberculosis has always been high among monkeys and anthropoid apes in captivity in zoological gardens and research colonies. More recently it has been recognized that the disease is a serious menace both to the welfare of the animals and to that of human contacts. About 25 per cent of more than 2000 monkeys and anthropoids used by the Laboratory of Physiology of the Yale Unive...

INTRODUCTION The tuberculin skin test is one of the most valuable tests for demonstrating tuberculous infection in both symptomatic and asymptomatic children. However, its application is often undermined by difficulties in interpretation of results arising from its low sensitivity and specificity. OBJECTIVES This review aimed to use the concept of induration distribution analysis to estimate ...

Introduction I. Epidemiology II. Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis III. Pathogenesis of Tuberculosis IV. Clinical Manifestations of Tuberculosis A. Systemic Effects of Tuberculosis B. Pulmonary Tuberculosis C. Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis V. Diagnostic Microbiology A. Laboratory Services for Mycobacterial Diseases B. Collection of Specimens for Demonstration of Tubercle Bacilli C. Trans...

OBJECTIVES The tuberculin skin test (TST) and the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT) are used to identify latent tuberculosis infections (LTBIs). The aim of this study was to determine the agreement between these two tests among health care workers in Iran. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 177 tuberculosis (TB) laboratory staff and 67 non-TB staff. TST indurations of 10 mm or more were...