title: Screening for latent tuberculosis and gastrointestinal parasite infections in Gurkha recruits: research driving policy change.
abstract: Nepalese Gurkha soldiers are recruited from a country endemic for a number of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis and gastrointestinal parasites. This article describes a prospective cohort study which investigated screening strategies for these infections among Gurkha recruits arriving in the UK to begin basic training. Several recommendations were made as a result of the study which were supported for early implementation and subsequently fully adopted. Military screening and treatment policies have been directly influenced by this research which also has translational application to similar migrant civilian populations.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (Academia and Research), Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: O'Shea
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (Academia and Research), Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.affiliation: Medical Centre, Vimy Barracks, Catterick, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tupper
authors.affiliation: Army Health Unit, Former Army Staff College, Camberley, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (Academia and Research), Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests; D055985:Latent Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008889:Military Personnel; D009390:Nepal; D011446:Prospective Studies