A Study of The Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis in Household Contacts of Patients with Active Tuberculosis in Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Brief Report

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem. Close household-contacts are at high risk of infections, particularly latent TB (LTBI). Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of LTBI in household-contacts of active TB patients. Methods: A total of 150 household contacts with active TB patients were recruited. Blood samples were collected and tested for the presence of LTBI by QuantiFERON-TB-Gold-Plus assay. Results: Amongst those recruited in this study, 62/150 (41.3%) were positive. Amongst the positive subjects, 33/62 (53%) were male. Four samples gave indeterminate results including two males and two females. Conclusions: The prevalence of LTBI was high in household-contacts. For successful TB control, close screening of contacts should be considered.