Assessment of the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in medical students

Background and Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in undergraduate medical students and associated factors. An adequate assessment increases the institutional biosafety strategies, in addition to providing adequate chemoprophylaxis. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out from August 2013 to July 2014, which included 62 undergraduate medical students submitted to tuberculin skin test and interview. The tuberculin test was performed using the Mantoux technique. The test reading was performed by the palpation method, 48 to 72 hours after the injection. The data collected at the interview were: year of medical school, history of atopy, history of hypersensitivity to PPD, BCG vaccination history, vaccination with live attenuated virus in the last 4 weeks, prior tuberculosis, potential exposure, time of exposure. Results: 30.6% of students showed reaction at the Mantoux test. The highest prevalence of reagent cases was observed among male students. Conclusion: The prevalence of a strong reaction at the tuberculin test is relatively low among medical students, but relevant for the risk stratification of this population.