Screening analyses of tuberculosis infection among primary and secondary school students in Cixi City of Zhejiang Province from 2024 to 2025
10.19428/j.cnki.sjpm.2025.250209
- VernacularTitle:2024—2025年浙江省慈溪市中小学生结核病感染现况
- Author:
Linfeng WANG
1
;
Sinan XU
1
;
Na LI
1
;
Yang CHE
2
Author Information
1. Cixi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Cixi, Zhejiang 315300, China
2. Ningbo Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315000, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
student;
tuberculosis screening;
gamma interferon release assay tests;
molecular biological detection
- From:
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine
2025;37(10):813-816
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and determinants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis latent infection among primary and secondary school students in Cixi City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide references for the prevention and control of tuberculosis in school settings. MethodsInterferon-γ release assay (IGRA) testing was performed to fourth-grade primary school students , as well as to those grade 7 and grade 10 students of the academic year 2024‒2025 in Cixi City. Individuals tested positive for IGRA were subsequently subjected to chest X-ray examination and sputum tests (including three smear microscopy examinations and one mycobaterial culture), and epidemiological investigations were carried out for confirmed cases. Infection rates were compared across student categories by χ² tests, while factors influencing infection were analysed through multivariate logistic regression. ResultsA total of 36 214 students completed tuberculosis screening, with an infection rate of 0.72% (260/36 214). The tuberculosis infection rates among fourth-grade primary school students, non boarding grade 7 students, boarding grade 7 students, grade 10 students of senior high school and of vocational high school were 0.68% (89/13 139), 0.75% (86/11 501), 0.51% (13/2 553), 0.76% (52/6 819), and 0.91% (20/2 202), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that students with a history of close contact with tuberculosis patients (OR=21.435, P<0.001) had a higher risk of tuberculosis infection, students with a geographic origin outside Zhejiang Province (OR=1.485, P=0.002) had a higher risk of infection than those within Zhejiang Province. Furthermore, students from ethnic minority classes (OR=4.232, P<0.001) might be high-risk groups for tuberculosis infection in high school settings. One IGRA-positive student was confirmed as bacteriologically positive pulmonary tuberculosis by liquid culture of sputum collected one month later. ConclusionSchools should prioritize tuberculosis screening. Students with a history of close contact, those with a geographic origin outside Zhejiang Province, and those enrolled in minority classes should be taken as priority targets for future tuberculosis screening programmes. A tracking and follow-up system must be established for IGRA-positive students to prevent persistent transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis within the school settings.
