Incidence of tuberculosis infection among New York State prison employees

OBJECTIVES: This study examined tuberculosis skin test conversions among 24,487 New York State prison employees in 1992. METHODS: Conversions were analyzed by prison and by job category. RESULTS: The conversion rate was 1.9%. Employees in prisons with low and high numbers of prisoner cases had odds ratios for conversion of 1.67 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27, 2.19) and 2.20 (95% CI = 1.69, 2.87), respectively, relative to employees in prisons with no prisoner cases. In prisons with cases, guards and medical personnel had odds ratios of 1.64 (95% CI = 1.11, 2.43) and 2.39 (95% CI = 1.40, 4.08), respectively, relative to employees with little prisoner contact. CONCLUSIONS: In 1992, approximately one third of new infections among New York State prison employees were due to occupational exposure.