Volume 8, Number 11—November 2002
THEME ISSUE
Tuberculosis Genotyping
Tuberculosis Genotyping Network, United States
Human Exposure following Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection of Multiple Animal Species in a Metropolitan Zoo
Peter Oh*, Reuben Granich*†, Jim Scott*, Ben Sun‡, Michael Joseph*, Cynthia Stringfield§, Susan Thisdell§, Jothan Staley¶, Donna Workman-Malcolm¶, Lee Borenstein#, Eleanor Lehnkering#, Patrick Ryan#, Jeanne Soukup#, Annette Nitta#, and Jennifer Flood*
Table
Relative risks for tuberculin skin-test conversion based on answers reported on employee exposure questionnairesa
| Characteristics reported in questionnaire | Convertersb (%) | TST-negativesc (%) | Risk ratio (95% CI) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 13 (87) | 112 (45) | 7.3 (1.7 to 31.9) | 0.002 |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Hispanic | 10 (67) | 109 (44) | 2.4 (0.8 to 6.8) | 0.092 |
| White | 2 (13) | 105 (43)d | 0.2 (0.1 to 1.0) | 0.025 |
| Black | 2 (13) | 22 (9) | 1.5 (0.4 to 6.3) | 0.41 |
| Asian | 1 (7) | 9 (4) | 1.8 (0.3 to 12.3) | 0.45 |
| U.S.-born | 11 (73) | 226 (90) | 0.4 (0.1 to 1.0) | 0.052 |
| BCG vaccine history | 0 (0) | 15 (7)e | 0.0 (0.0 to 6.0)f | 0.40 |
| Contact with any animal | 7 (50)g | 147 (60) h | 0.7 (0.2 to 1.9) | 0.45 |
| Job type | ||||
| Animal care | 4 (29) g | 91 (37) i | 0.7 (0.2 to 2.2) | 0.54 |
| Groundskeeping | 5 (36) g | 14 (6) | 7.1 (2.6 to 19.1) | <0.001 |
| Custodial | 2 (14) g | 19 (8) | 1.9 (0.5 to 8.0) | 0.31 |
| Maintenance | 1 (7) | 15 (6) | 1.2 (0.2 to 8.5) | 0.60 |
| Construction | 1 (7) | 11 (4) | 1.6 (0.2 to11.3) | 0.49 |
| Administrative | 1 (7) | 67 (27) | 0.2 (0.0 to 1.7) | 0.082 |
| Animal health center exposure | 5 (33) | 152 (63) j | 0.3 (0.1 to 0.9) | 0.025 |
| Elephant compound exposure | 5 (33) | 130 (52) | 0.5 (0.2 to 1.4) | 0.17 |
| Trained elephants | 3 (20) | 12 (5) | 4.1 (1.3 to 13.1) | 0.045 |
| Visited elephants | 2 (13) | 77 (31) | 0.4 (0.1 to 1.6) | 0.12 |
| Attended necropsy | 3 (20) | 7 (3) | 6.3 (2.1 to 18.9) | 0.014 |
| Goat compound exposure | 3 (20) | 72 (29) | 0.6 (0.2 to 2.2) | 0.35 |
| Rhino compound exposure | 2 (13) | 82 (33) | 0.3 (0.1 to 1.5) | 0.097 |
| Animal nursery exposure | 2 (13) | 124 (50) i | 0.2 (0.0 to 0.7) | 0.007 |
aTST, tuberculin skin test; CI, confidence interval.
bEmployee with a positive TST in any of the converter categories as described (true, probable, or possible). N=15, except where noted.
cN=251, except where noted.
dN=245.
eN=232.
fOdds ratio reported because of a zero value.
gN=14.
hN=244.
iN=248.
jN=243.
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