• Title/Summary/Keyword: Latent infection

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Tuberculosis Infection and Latent Tuberculosis

  • Lee, Seung Heon
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.79 no.4
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    • pp.201-206
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    • 2016
  • Active tuberculosis (TB) has a greater burden of TB bacilli than latent TB and acts as an infection source for contacts. Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is the state in which humans are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis without any clinical symptoms, radiological abnormality, or microbiological evidence. TB is transmissible by respiratory droplet nucleus of $1-5{\mu}m$ in diameter, containing 1-10 TB bacilli. TB transmission is affected by the strength of the infectious source, infectiousness of TB bacilli, immunoresistance of the host, environmental stresses, and biosocial factors. Infection controls to reduce TB transmission consist of managerial activities, administrative control, engineering control, environmental control, and personal protective equipment provision. However, diagnosis and treatment for LTBI as a national TB control program is an important strategy on the precondition that active TB is not missed. Therefore, more concrete evidences for LTBI management based on clinical and public perspectives are needed.

Awareness, Performance, and Preventive Behavior of Latent Tuberculosis Infection management among Nursing students (간호대학생의 잠복결핵 감염관리에 대한 인식도와 수행도, 예방행위)

  • Mo, Moon-hee;Jang, Hee-jung
    • The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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    • v.7 no.4
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    • pp.471-478
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    • 2021
  • The purpose of this study were to investigate knowledge, awareness, performance, and preventive behavior of latent tuberculosis infection management, and to identify influencing factors on preventive behavior of latent tuberculosis infection management of nursing students. The subjects of this study were completed by 191 nursing students from 2 colleges in D City. Data were collected from August 1 to November 30, 2020. Data were analyzed using the t-test, the ANOVA, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression analysis by SPSS ver. 21.0. There were significant positive correlations between preventive behavior of latent tuberculosis infection management and performance(r=.21, p=.003), awareness and performance(r=.88, p<.001). The factors influencing grade and education experience about latent tuberculosis infection management of the study subjects were grade(β=.29, p<.001), final time of education experience about tuberculosis(β=.19, p=.004), and the explanatory power of these variables was 11.9%. The development of preventive behavior of latent tuberculosis infection management education program that focuses grade and final time of education experience about tuberculosis is needed.

Analysis of Prevalence and Risk Factors for Latent Tuberculosis Infection among Healthcare Workers (의료기관 종사자의 잠복결핵감염 유병률과 위험요인 분석)

  • Lee, Jae Baek;Choi, Jeong Sil
    • Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.300-307
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data on the infection prevention management program, which is one of the infectious disease control program by identifying the prevalence and risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in healthcare workers. Methods: We surveyed a total of 3,046 LTBI test results, including those of 2,269 existing staff and 777 new employees. An interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) for the diagnosis of LTBI was performed using QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-IT). The risk factors of LTBI were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of LTBI was 16.0% (487/3,046). The prevalence of LTBI in the existing staff was 17.9% (406/2,269) and the prevalence of LTBI in new employees was 10.4% (81/777). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection among the existing staff were gender, age and work period wheres, the risk factor amongst the new employees depended on their age. Conclusion: The LTBI was not related to the type of occupation and work unit. Therefore, while establishing an infection control program for the prevention of tuberculosis infection at medical institurions, institutional heads and infection control experts should encompass a policy for all the employees.

Epidemiological Investigations to Optimize the Management of Pepper Anthracnose

  • Ahn, Mun-Il;Yun, Sung-Chul
    • The Plant Pathology Journal
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    • v.25 no.3
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    • pp.213-219
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    • 2009
  • An understanding of anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum) infections, including the infection of flowers and latent infection early in the season, is necessary to achieve successful control by means of properly timed spraying with a curative fungicide. In the present study, latent anthracnose infection of chili was investigated under greenhouse and field conditions in 2007-2008. Flowers on greenhouse-grown seedlings were infected and 11% of the young fruits subsequently showed symptoms of anthracnose. Apparently healthy-looking green peppers obtained from unsprayed fields or an organic market also exhibited symptoms of anthracnose after 4 days of incubation under high moisture conditions at $25^{\circ}C$; less than 1% of the peppers were found to be latently infected. To determine the natural timing of infection in the field, 3,200 fruits were wrapped in paper bags and then selectively unwrapped and examined for signs of infection. Field experiments were conducted at Suwon (cvs. Yokkang, Manitta, Olympic) and Asan (cv. Chunhasangsa) in 2008. The 7- to 10-day wrapping periods were July 25-31, July 31-August 7, August 7-15, August 15-24, and August 24-September 3. The 1-to 2-month wrapping periods were from July 4, July 31, and August 15 until harvest (Sept. 3). The controls consisted of 1,712 field-grown non-wrapped fruits. The rates of infection on the various cultivars were Yokkang 55%, Manitta 37%, Olympic 55%, and Chunhasangsa 20%. A distinct period in which anthracnose infection suddenly increased could not be identified; however, attempts to guess the approximate timing of field infection showed that 0-39% of the plants had latent infections, while depending on the cultivar, 8-14% of the plants examined in August and 4-13.5% of the those examined during May-July showed symptoms of infection. Delaying fungicide spraying by 24 and 48 h after artificial infection decreased the rates of infection by 10% and 25-30%, respectively. Chemical control of anthracnose based on a forecasting model should be considered starting from the transplanting stage, with spraying within a day after warning and care being taken not to latently infect apparently healthy pepper fruits.

Treatment of latent tuberculous infection in children and adolescent (소아청소년기 잠복결핵 감염의 치료)

  • Kim, Jong-Hyun
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.52 no.5
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    • pp.519-528
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    • 2009
  • Tuberculosis continues to cause an unacceptably high toll of disease and death among children worldwide. Whereas intense scientific and clinical research efforts into novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive interventions have focused on tuberculosis in adults, childhood tuberculosis has been relatively neglected. However, children are particularly vulnerable to severe disease and death following infection, and those with latent infection become the reservoir for future transmission following disease reactivation in adulthood, fuelling future epidemics. Therefore, it is very important to understand the significance, diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculous infection to decrease a future disease burden of tuberculosis. Unfortunately, these concept still have not fully implicated in Korean National Tuberculosis Control Program, it should be engaged and enforced as soon as possible.

Construction of a System for the Strawberry Nursery Production towards Elimination of Latent Infection of Anthracnose Fungi by a Combination of PCR and Microtube Hybridization

  • Furuta, Kazuyoshi;Nagashima, Saki;Inukai, Tsuyoshi;Masuta, Chikara
    • The Plant Pathology Journal
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.80-86
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    • 2017
  • One of the major problems in strawberry production is difficulty in diagnosis of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum acutatum or Glomerella cingulata in latent infection stage. We here developed a diagnostic tool for the latent infection consisting of initial culturing of fungi, DNA extraction, synthesis of PCR-amplified probes and microtube hybridization (MTH) using a macroarray. The initial culturing step is convenient to lure the fungi out of the plant tissues, and to extract PCR-inhibitor-free DNA directly from fungal hyphae. For specific detection of the fungi, PCR primers were designed to amplify the fungal MAT1-2 gene. The subsequent MTH step using the PCR products as probes can replace the laborious electrophoresis step providing us sequence information and high-throughput screening. Using this method, we have conducted a survey for a few thousands nursery plants every year for three consecutive years, and finally succeeded in eliminating latent infection in the third year of challenge.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection due to Initiation of Anti-TNF Therapy

  • Shim, Tae Sun
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.76 no.6
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    • pp.261-268
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    • 2014
  • Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are increasingly being treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents and are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Therefore, diagnosis and treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI) is recommended in these patients due to the initiation of anti-TNF therapy. Traditionally, LTBI has been diagnosed on the basis of clinical factors and a tuberculin skin test. Recently, interferon-gamma releasing assays (IGRAs) that can detect TB infection have become available. Considering the high-risk of developing TB in patients on anti-TNF therapy, the use of both a tuberculin skin test and an IGRA should be considered to detect and treat LTBI in patients with IMIDs. The traditional LTBI treatment regimen consisted of isoniazid monotherapy for 9 months. However, shorter regimens such as 4 months of rifampicin or 3 months of isoniazid/rifampicin are increasingly being used to improve treatment completion rates. In this review, the screening methods for diagnosing latent and active TB before anti-TNF therapy in patients with IMIDs will be briefly described, as well as the current LTBI treatment regimens, the recommendations for managing TB that develops during anti-TNF therapy, the necessity of regular monitoring to detect new TB infection, and the re-initiation of anti-TNF therapy in patients who develop TB.

Diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection using Ex-vivo interferon-gamma Assay (체외 Interferon-gamma 검사를 이용한 결핵감염의 진단)

  • Lee, Jung Yeon;Shim, Tae Sun
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.60 no.5
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    • pp.497-509
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    • 2006
  • Until recently, the tuberculin skin test (TST) has been the only tool available for diagnosing a latent TB infection. However, the development of new diagnostic tools, using the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-specific early secreted antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) antigens, should improve the control of tuberculosis (TB) by allowing a more accurate identification of a latent TB infection (LTBI). Antigen-specific interferon-gamma ($IFN-{\gamma}$) assays have greater specificity in BCG-vaccinated individuals, and as less biased by nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. Many comparative studies have suggested that those assays have a higher specificity than the TST, and the sensitivity of these assays are expected to remarkably improved if more MTB-specific antigens can become available. Nevertheless, the major obstacle to the widespread use of these tests is the limited financial resources. Similar to other diagnostic tests, the predictive value of $IFN-{\gamma}$ assays depends on the prevalence of a MTB infection in the population being tested. Therefore, prospective studies will be meeded to establish the applicability of these new assays at multiple geographic locations among patients of different ethnicities, and to determine if the $IFN-{\gamma}$ responses can indicate those with a high risk of progressing to active TB.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Healthcare Workers

  • Mok, Jeong Ha
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.79 no.3
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    • pp.127-133
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    • 2016
  • Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important occupational risks for healthcare workers (HCWs) in South Korea. Many policies regarding the control and prevention of TB in healthcare settings recommend that HCWs are tested for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in addition to active TB. Moreover, the Korean Tuberculosis Prevention Act also recommends that HCWs receive regular testing for LTBI. However, there are no specific or detailed guidelines for dealing with LTBI in HCWs. Herein, we discuss the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI in HCWs and focus particularly on the baseline screening of hired HCWs, routine follow-up, and contact investigation.