PREVALENCE OF TUBERCULIN SKIN-TEST REACTIONS AMONG PRISON WORKERS

Objective: To determine the prevalence of positive tuberculin skin tes t (TST) reactions (10 mm or greater) among full-time employees of a pr ovincial prison for women in Montreal. Methods: Participants underwent tuberculin skin testing and completed a self-administered questionnai re. Results: Among 129 employees identified, 118 (91%) underwent tuber culin testing. Among 102 born in Quebec who completed the questionnair e, 33 (32%) had positive TST reactions, including 12 (23%) of 52 subje cts who had never been vaccinated. Positive TST reactions were signifi cantly associated in multivariate analysis with BCG vaccination after infancy (OR = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.5-13.5), years of work at other provinci al prisons (OR = 2.5 for each 5 years of work, 95% CI = 1.2-5.2), trav el to tuberculosis endemic countries (OR = 7.7, 95% CI = 1.4-4.3), alt hough not with work in the prison for women (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9-1. 9) Conclusions: The prevalence of positive TST reactions was greater a mong workers at a provincial prison for women than among a sample of s tudents, suggesting increased occupational risk of tuberculosis infect ion.