Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We examined surveillance data to describe the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States during the period 1995-2007. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive analysis of existing surveillance data. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: TB cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from the 50 states and the District of Columbia from 1995 through 2007. RESULTS: Of the 200,744 reported TB cases in persons 18 years of age or older, 6,049 (3%) occurred in individuals who were classified as HCWs. HCWs with TB were more likely than other adults with TB to be women (unadjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 4.1 [3.8-4.3]), be foreign born (1.3 [1.3-1.4]), have extrapulmonary TB (1.6 [1.5-1.7]), and complete TB treatment (2.5 [2.3-2.8]). CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare institutions may benefit from intensifying TB screening of HCWs upon hire, especially persons from countries with a high incidence of TB, and encouraging treatment for latent TB infection among HCWs to prevent progression to TB disease.