Incidence of tuberculosis infection among New York State prison employees.

Steenland, K; Levine, A J; Sieber, K; Schulte, P; Aziz, D · Am J Public Health · 1997

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

This study examined tuberculosis skin test conversions among 24,487 New York State prison employees in 1992. Conversions were analyzed by prison and by job category. The conversion rate was 1.9%. Employees in prisons with low and high numbers of prisoner cases had odds ratios for conversion of 1.67 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27, 2.19) and 2.20 (95% CI = 1.69, 2.87), respectively, relative to employees in prisons with no prisoner cases. In prisons with cases, guards and medical personnel had odds ratios of 1.64 (95% CI = 1.11, 2.43) and 2.39 (95% CI = 1.40, 4.08), respectively, relative to employees with little prisoner contact. In 1992, approximately one third of new infections among New York State prison employees were due to occupational exposure.

Medical subject headings