TITLE:
Latent Tuberculosis Infection among Household Contacts of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Cases in Central State, Sudan: Prevalence and Associated Factors
AUTHORS:
Abdulmannan Mohamed Aman, Zeidan Abdu Zeidan
KEYWORDS:
Tuberculosis, Latent Tuberculosis Infection, Household Close Contact, Central State, Sudan, Prevalence, Risk Factors
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Tuberculosis Research,
Vol.5 No.4,
December
11,
2017
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Tuberculosis is a major health problem in developing countries including Sudan. Screening for TB cases through Household contacts (HHCs) investigation is an appropriate strategy to interrupt transmission of TB. Objectives: To determine the prevalence tuberculosis infection and risk factors for tuberculosis infection among household contacts in Wadimadani locality, Central State, Sudan, between November 2015 and April 2016. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study conducted. During study period, to confirm TB diagnosis, all suspect contacts were tested through sputum samples, tuberculin skin test or chest X-ray. Structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and environmental factors. Results: One hundred forty six patients of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study, 657 household contacts were identified and screened. Forty three new TB cases were detected from household contacts, yielding a prevalence of 6.5% (95% confidence interval = 0.05, 0.09) of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Two factors were significantly associated with LTBI among HHCs: duration of contact with a TB patient ≤ 4 months (P = 0.03) and the educational status (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Screening of HHCs of index case of TB will contribute in early detection and treatment of new cases, and considered as a forward step towards eliminating TB.