Incidence of tuberculosis among nurses and healthcare assistants in France.
BACKGROUND
Health care workers (HCWs) are considered to be at higher risk of tuberculosis (TB) than the general population. However, a decreasing incidence in the general population as well as improvement in preventive measures in hospitals has reduced the risk for HCWs.


OBJECTIVE
To quantify the actual incidence of TB in nurses and health care assistants in a low-incidence country.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective study of 80 hospitals throughout France, employing 233389 health care staff (physicians excluded). We calculated the number of pulmonary TB cases over 3 years (700166 person-years) and the total number of staff members in each job category (nurses, health care assistants, administrative staff) in each hospital, to calculate the incidence.


RESULTS
Overall, the incidence rate varied between 1.27 and 6/100000 for administrative staff and nurses, respectively (non-significant difference). The incidence varied according to the geographical area. However, the incidence in nurses and health care assistants was not different from the general population (7.5/100000).


CONCLUSIONS
In a low-incidence country, such as France, the implementation of measures to prevent occupational TB among HCWs has been effective. These preventive measures should be maintained but medical follow-up could be revised.
Institute of Occupational Health, Rouen University Hospital, 1 rue de Germont, 76000 Rouen, France, Jean-Francois.gehanno@chu-rouen.fr.
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Gehanno
Groupe d'Etude sur le Risque d'Exposition des Soignants (GERES), Medical Faculty Xavier Bichat, 16 rue Henri Huchard, 75018 Paris, France.
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D
Abiteboul
Institute of Occupational Health, Rouen University Hospital, 1 rue de Germont, 76000 Rouen, France.
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Rollin
D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009726:Nurses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology
France; health care staff; incidence; tuberculosis.