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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Epidemiology and Prevention
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1399375

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers in Latin America and the Caribbean: systematic review and meta-analysis

Provisionally accepted
Edinson Dante Meregildo-Rodriguez Edinson Dante Meregildo-Rodriguez 1*Mariano Ortiz-Pizarro Mariano Ortiz-Pizarro 2Martha Genara Asmat-Rubio Martha Genara Asmat-Rubio 3Mayra Janett Rojas-Benites Mayra Janett Rojas-Benites 3
  • 1 Faculty of Medicine, Cesar Vallejo University, Trujillo, Peru
  • 2 School of Dentistry, Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University, Chiclayo, Peru
  • 3 Escuela de Posgrado, Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego, Trujillo, Peru

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Tuberculosis remains a significant global health concern, and healthcare workers (HCWs) face a high risk of acquiring latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) through occupational exposure. In the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, where the burden of tuberculosis is substantial, understanding the prevalence of LTBI among HCWs is crucial for effective infection control measures. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of LTBI among HCWs in LAC countries.Methods: Our search included MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, focusing on relevant English-language records. We looked for observational studies from inception until December 2023.Results: Our analysis included 38 studies representing 15,236 HCWs and 6,728 LTBI cases. These studies spanned the period from 1994 to 2023 and were conducted in Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, and Chile. The pooled prevalence of LTBI among HCWs was 34.5% (95% CI 25.4-44.1) for IGRA and 43.0% (95% CI 35.5-50.7%) for TST. When considering both IGRA and TST tests, the overall prevalence of LTBI among HCWs was 40.98% (95% CI 34.77-47.33%). LTBI was associated with longer lengths of employment and exposure to patients, family members, or any person with TB. Additionally, older HCWs faced a higher risk of LTBI. Specific professional roles (such as nurses, nurse technicians, or physicians), smoking, and deficient TB infection control measures increased the likelihood of LTBI. However, information regarding gender and BCG vaccination status showed discordance among studies.Our findings underscore a substantial burden of LTBI among HCWs in LAC countries. Implementing adequate infection control measures is essential to prevent and control transmission within healthcare settings.

    Keywords: Tuberculosis, Latent Tuberculosis, Health Personnel, Interferon-gamma Release Tests, Tuberculin Test, Infection Control, Systematic review, Meta-analysis

    Received: 11 Mar 2024; Accepted: 10 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Meregildo-Rodriguez, Ortiz-Pizarro, Asmat-Rubio and Rojas-Benites. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Edinson Dante Meregildo-Rodriguez, Faculty of Medicine, Cesar Vallejo University, Trujillo, Peru

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.