Sleeping with Tuberculosis: Do over-crowded university hostels in Kenya increase TB transmission among youths - A pilot study (original) (raw)
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Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a top global health problem and its transmission rate among contacts is higher when they are cohabiting with a person who is sputum smear-positive. Our study aimed to describe the prevalence of TB among student contacts in the university and determine factors associated with TB transmission. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study with an active contact case finding approach among students receiving treatment at Kilifi County Hospital from January 2016 to December 2017. The study was conducted in a public university in Kilifi County, a rural area within the resource-limited context of Kenya. The study population included students attending the university and identified as sharing accommodation or off-campus hostels, or a close social contact to an index case. The index case was defined as a fellow university student diagnosed with TB at the Kilifi County Hospital during the study period. Contacts were traced and tested for TB using GeneXpert. Results: Among the 57 eligible index students identified, 51 (89%) agreed to participate. A total of 156 student contacts were recruited, screened and provided a sputum sample. The prevalence of TB (GeneXpert test positive/clinical diagnosis) among all contacts was 8.3% (95% CI 4.5-14%). Among the 8.3% testing positive 3.2% (95% CI 1.0-7.3%) were positive for GeneXpert only. Sharing a bed with an index case was the only factor significantly associated with TB infection. No other demographic or clinical factor was associated with TB infection. Conclusion: Our study identified a high level of TB transmission among university students who had contact with the index cases. The study justifies further research to explore the genetic sequence and magnitude of TB transmission among students in overcrowded university in resource limited contexts.
Mintage Journal of Pharceutical and Medical Scince, 2019
Background: Tuberculosis, (TB) in the past also known as phthisis palmonalis, is widespread, and in many cases fatal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease is spread through droplet nuclei during coughing or sneezing. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of TB among students, and also to assess the risk factors for the infection among study subjects.Methods: Sputum smears stained with Ziehl Neelsen stain were examined microscopically for the detection of the Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB). A structured questionnaire was also administered to get information on the risk factors associated with TB. Results: A total of 350 healthy and unhealthy subjects were recruited into the study. A prevalence of 2 (1%) was recorded. Two subjects who were positive for TB infection were in the age group 21-25, whereas other age groups had no infection. The differences in the infection rate by age group was not significant statistically (p > 0.0915).The occurrence of TB infection by gender shows that males had 2(1%) infection rate and females had no infection. The difference in the infection rate by gender was not statistically significant (p > 0.1572). The distribution of TB infection base on the Hostels shows that Hall 4 had an infection rate of 2(3%) while hall 5,7,8 and 9 recorded no infection. The difference in the infection rate by halls was not significant statistically (p > 0.09157).Conclusion: This study shows that overcrowded places like prisons, hostels, barracks, and schools contributed to the spread of TB through cough, sneezing or singing through aerosols. Infected persons should be isolated and treated to stop further spread of the infection and screening examinations of sputum for AFB should be employed in schools hostel to check for the asymptomatic carriers of TB infection before being admitted into the hostels.
Archives of Public Health, 2013
Background: Uganda's Ministry of Health registered a 12% increase in new Tuberculosis (TB) cases between 2001 and 2005. Of these, 20% were from Kampala district and most from Mulago national referral hospital where the largest and the oldest medical school is found. Medical students are likely to have an increased exposure to TB infection due to their training in hospitals compared to other university students. The study compared the prevalence of TB infection and associated factors among undergraduate medical and veterinary students in Makerere University, Uganda. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 232 medical and 250 veterinary undergraduate students. Socio-demographic and past medical history data was collected using questionnaires. A tuberculin skin test was performed on the volar aspect of the left forearm. An induration ≥10 mm in diameter after 48-72 hrs was considered positive. Logistic regression was used to determine association of independent variables with TB infection.
TB Transmission Scourge: Share Sleeping Room in Density House
2019
Mycobacterium tuberculosis exhaled by patients when coughing, sneezing, even speaking. Duration and frequency of exposure is important factor of TB transmission, especially in closed room. Therefore, household contact of TB patient is susceptible. This research aimed to find out the influence of share sleeping room with TB patient in home dense residential against tuberculosis symptoms existence at household contact of TB patient. This cross-sectional research collected data by interviewed 73 TB patients and their household contact. Results showed that household contact was suffered of TB symptoms if slept in same room with patient in crowded house. To avoid tuberculosis transmission, household contact is recommended to separate sleeping room with patient. Cross infection in crowded house can prevented by improved ventilation so that air circulation can occur and pathogenic bacteria in the air can be reduced. Keywords : TB transmission scourge, share sleeping room
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 2020
A TB prevalence survey conducted by National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease-Program (NTLD-P) in 2016 revealed that the burden of TB in Kenya is higher than the previous assumptions. Additionally, it demonstrated that there was a higher burden of TB in urban compared to rural settings consistent with routine TB data collection which shows a higher notification in the big cities of Nairobi and Mombasa. There is need to find out factors contributing to the large TB burden in Kenya, especially in the escalating slums near cities such as Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum. The current study assessed existing knowledge regarding TB causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. The study population consisted of residents of Mukuru kwa Njenga who had lived in the area for at least one month aged above 18 years, from both genders. Household survey was the major source of data for the demographics and socioeconomic status of the participants who verbally consented to participating in the study. Focused group discussions were conducted with TB patients on intensive phase of treatment at the facility. Descriptive analysis with the help of SPSS was conducted. A majority of the respondents did not know additional symptom of TB other than cough (n=126, 51.2%) while (23% n=57) did not know how TB is transmitted. Additionally, (82 % n=203) of the respondents knew what causes TB. While adequate ventilation is key in TB prevention, majority of houses in this location had one room (94%, n=232) with a majority with only one window (89.4% n=220) and 41% n=102 with more than four occupants per house. The study concluded that the community suffers overcrowding, poor housing and lacks the ability to detect or diagnose TB occurrences earlier in order to acquire early treatment.
International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 2018
Quantify tuberculosis (TB) risk attributable to dorm room exposure in addition to classroom exposure. Adolescent school contact investigations were conducted for every reported index TB case, and similar contact investigations were conducted in selected community-control classes from November 2016 to October 2017 in Guangxi, China. A total of 6263 contacts of 112 index TB cases and 6130 classmates of 112 controls were investigated. There were 14, 12 and 2 new active TB cases detected among classmates/non-roommates of index cases, classmates/roommates of index cases and control classmates, respectively. Compared with control contacts, the adjusted relative risk (95% confidence interval (CI)) and population attributable fraction (PAF) for being a classmate/non-roommate of the index case increased the risk of active TB diagnosis to 8.44 (95% CI: 1.31-54.48) and 44.1%. The adjusted RR and PAF for being a classmate/roommate of the index case was 29.37 (95% CI: 3.80, 227.11) and 41.4%. Be...
Journal of Tuberculosis Research
SETTING: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) among adolescents in a country with a high TB burden, and examine risks of LTBI according to their social activity patterns. METHODS: A cross-sectional study nested within a phase 2b randomised, placebo controlled, double blind study and consisted of 824 adolescents, 13-15 years old who had received Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, were attending public secondary schools and had no evidence of active tuberculosis (TB). Anthropometric measurements were obtained, a questionnaire administered, and phlebotomy performed for a T spot interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) to detect LTBI. RESULTS: Among 824 subjects, 149 (18%) had a positive IGRA. After adjusting for the influence of household socioeconomic status, history of TB contact, living environment and nutritional status, LTBI risk was higher in subjects with than without regular informal encounters with traditional alcoholic beverage drinkers (AOR, 6.37 [1.84-22.00]). Other significant factors for LTBI risk included contact with TB patient at school (AOR, 3.34 [1.14-9.80]), and living close to a health facility, as was observed among those from houses within a 10-30-minute walking distance to the nearest health facility, who were less likely to be IGRA-positive than those who were living within a 10-minute walking dis
KnE Life Sciences, 2018
Living in a crowded Islamic boarding school (pondok pesantren) may cause tuberculosis (TB) transmission, poor sanitation and personal hygiene presenting risks for residents' health. Sleeping together in a small room may increase the risk of TB transmission in the pondok pesantren. The objective of this study is to assess TB suspects and their determinants among boarding students at Islamic boarding schools in Garut. A crosssectional design was employed in this study. Applying two stages of cluster sampling, 429 samples were selected from six Islamic boarding schools in the Garut District. Data was collected through interviews, using a questionnaire that was pre-tested for validity and reliability, and analyzed using a multiple logistic regression technique. This study determined that almost 22% of the boarding students, commonly known as santri, had been suffering from a cough for at least 2 weeks (TB suspects). Half of them (50.8%) are women, living in environments prone to TB transmission (62.5%), having low levels of knowledge of TB (70.6%), exhibiting poor TB prevention behavior (52.7%), and around 37% are smokers. The analysis proves that sex and smoking habits are associated with TB suspects. Smoking habits are the most dominant risk factor for TB suspects after controlling for knowledge of TB. The risk of smoking santris becoming a TB suspect is 2.7 times higher than for those who do not smoke, after controlling for knowledge of TB.