Non-compliance with health surveillance is a matter of Biosafety: a survey of latent tuberculosis infection in a highly endemic setting

Objective This study aimed at identifying demographic, socio-economic and tuberculosis (TB) exposure factors associated with non-compliance with the tuberculin skin test, the management and prevention of non-compliance to the test. It was carried out in the context of a survey of latent TB infection among undergraduate students taking healthcare courses in two universities in Salvador, Brazil, a city highly endemic for TB. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of 1164 volunteers carried out between October 2004 and June 2008. Bivariate analysis followed by logistic regression was used to measure the association between non-compliance and potential risk factors through non-biased estimates of the adjusted OR for confounding variables. A parallel evaluation of occupational risk perception and of knowledge of Biosafety measures was also conducted. Results The non-compliance rate was above 40% even among individuals potentially at higher risk of disease, which included those who had not been vaccinated (OR 3.33; 95% CI 1.50 to 7.93; p=0.0018), those reporting having had contact with TB patients among close relatives or household contacts (p=0.3673), or those whose tuberculin skin test status was shown within the survey to have recently converted (17.3% of those completing the study). In spite of the observed homogeneity in the degree of Biosafety knowledge, and the awareness campaigns developed within the study focussing on TB prevention, the analysis has shown that different groups have different behaviours in relation to the test. Family income was found to have opposite effects in groups studying different courses as well as attending public versus private universities. Conclusions Although the data presented may not be directly generalisable to other situations and cultural settings, this study highlights the need to evaluate factors associated with non-compliance with routine testing, as they may affect the efficacy of Biosafety program

Invisibility of biohazard situations in the field of Public Health: Challenges for biosafety and biosecurity

Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-08T13:58:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 477.pdf: 3038477 bytes, checksum: bfde8364acf112987f4aea81c8a78dc9 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilEsta Tese aborda a problemática da invisibilidade de situações de risco biológico refletida no âmbito individual, institucional e da sociedade. Os resultados são apresentados em quatro publicações científicas que respondem a seus objetivos. A primeira é um artigo que descreve a trajetória da construção do campo da biossegurança destacando sua aplicação como ferramenta de controle à emergência e reemergência de doenças, resultantes de interferências humanas sobre a natureza, estando a invisibilidade de situações de risco biológico, em nível da sociedade, associada a estas interferências. A segunda é um informe técnico que analisa evento realizado em instituição de pesquisa guardiã de acervo de coleções de agentes biológicos. A análise, que abrange as narrativas dos pesquisadores curadores dos acervos e a observação in loco das condições de biossegurança (indicadores de qualidade) e biosseguridade (aspectos de segurança), apontou inadequações que configuram invisibilidade de situações de risco biológico em nível institucional. A terceira publicação analisa características associadas à não adesão de estudantes de cursos da área de saúde ao teste tuberculínico, em cidade com alta endemicidade da doença. Status socioeconômico, gênero e escolha de carreira foram aspectos associados aos grupos de não adesão ao teste, que está inserido em programas de biossegurança e é recomendado para o controle da tuberculose. Este descuido com a própria saúde configura invisibilidade de situações de risco biológico em nível individual. A quarta publicação, artigo submetido a avaliação, faz uma discussão síntese das publicações anteriores, chamando a atenção para a importância em perceber a inobservância dos preceitos de biossegurança e biosseguridade para possibilitar à tomada de decisão, evitando danos à saúde humana e ao ambiente. Conclui-se que debates são necessários para ampliar a percepção desta questão pelas redes sócio-técnicas, pelas sócioinstitucionais e sócio-humana

Seroprevalence of hantavirus and Yersinia pestis antibodies in professionals from the Plague Control Program

Introduction Professionals who handle rodents in the field and in the laboratory are at risk of infection by the microorganisms harbored by these animals. Methods Serum samples from professionals involved in rodent and Yersinia pestis handling in field or laboratory work were analyzed to determine hantavirus and plague seroprevalence and to establish a relationship between these activities and reports of illnesses. Results Two individuals had antibodies against hantavirus, and two harbored antibodies against the plague; none of the individuals had experienced an illness related to their duties. Conclusions These results confirm the risks of hantavirus- and plague-related field and laboratory activities and the importance of protective measures for such work