Conference abstract
Latent tuberculosis infection in children exposed to livestock and fresh dairy products in Cameroon: an important source of the disease transmission
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2023:18(168).03
Oct 2023.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2023.18.168.2286
Archived on: 03 Oct 2023
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Keywords: Latent tuberculosis, children, zoonosis transmission, Yaoundé
Oral presentation
Latent tuberculosis infection in children exposed to livestock and fresh dairy products in Cameroon: an important source of the disease transmission
Tsasse Martine Augusta Flore1,&, Dilonga Meriki Henry1, Nana Djeunga Hugues Clotaire2, Ngwa Marius Ambe1, Kamgno Joseph3, Tatah Kihla Akoachere Jane Françis1, Patrick Nguipdop Djomo4
1Centre de Recherche sur les Filarioses et autres Maladies Tropicales (CRFilMT), Université de Buéa, Cameroun, 2Centre for Research on Filariasis and other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT) Yaoundé, Cameroun, 3Centre for Research on Filariasis and other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT) Yaoundé, Cameroon, 4Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London, United Kingdom
&Corresponding author
Introduction:Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death worldwide. One-fourth of the population worldwide is estimated to be latently infected(LTBI), a reservoir that should be addressed to achieve WHO’s TB elimination goals. Zoonotic TB is neglected, yet may substantially contribute to the disease burden. This study explores LTBI in Cameroon. The objective was to evaluate the contribution of bovine tuberculosis to the current burden of human TB in Cameroon.
Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2020 and January 2021 in the Centre region of Cameroon, recruiting 160 children aged 2-15 years, stratified by exposure to livestock, people with TB, and the general community. Venous blood collected from children was tested for Latent TB infection (LTBI) using QuantiFERON -TB Gold Plus in Tube IGRA test (Qiagen Strasse, Germany). We calculated the prevalence and estimated the crude and adjusted odds ratios of association to risk factors using multiple variables logistic regression models.
Results: the overall LTBI prevalence was 23.15%, and was highest in children who had direct contact with TB (PTB) patients (61%) followed by those exposed to livestock (7.3%). The strongest risk factor for LTBI was living in the same household with a TB patient (adjusted OR 10.11, 95% CI: 2.98 - 34.35). Exposure to livestock was also associated with a higher risk of LTBI, although our small sample size limited study precision (OR 3.59, 95%CI 0.28 – 45.52). We found no evidence of an association between LTBI and consumption of undercooked meat (p=0.406) or fresh milk (p = 0.905).
Conclusion: our results suggest high household transmission and potentially increased risk in children exposed to livestock. The high prevalence of LTBI in children should be further investigated and taken into account for the elimination of TB in Cameroon.
Latent tuberculosis infection in children exposed to livestock and fresh dairy products in Cameroon: an important source of the disease transmission
Tsasse Martine Augusta Flore1,&, Dilonga Meriki Henry1, Nana Djeunga Hugues Clotaire2, Ngwa Marius Ambe1, Kamgno Joseph3, Tatah Kihla Akoachere Jane Françis1, Patrick Nguipdop Djomo4
1Centre de Recherche sur les Filarioses et autres Maladies Tropicales (CRFilMT), Université de Buéa, Cameroun, 2Centre for Research on Filariasis and other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT) Yaoundé, Cameroun, 3Centre for Research on Filariasis and other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT) Yaoundé, Cameroon, 4Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London, United Kingdom
&Corresponding author
Introduction:Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death worldwide. One-fourth of the population worldwide is estimated to be latently infected(LTBI), a reservoir that should be addressed to achieve WHO’s TB elimination goals. Zoonotic TB is neglected, yet may substantially contribute to the disease burden. This study explores LTBI in Cameroon. The objective was to evaluate the contribution of bovine tuberculosis to the current burden of human TB in Cameroon.
Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2020 and January 2021 in the Centre region of Cameroon, recruiting 160 children aged 2-15 years, stratified by exposure to livestock, people with TB, and the general community. Venous blood collected from children was tested for Latent TB infection (LTBI) using QuantiFERON -TB Gold Plus in Tube IGRA test (Qiagen Strasse, Germany). We calculated the prevalence and estimated the crude and adjusted odds ratios of association to risk factors using multiple variables logistic regression models.
Results: the overall LTBI prevalence was 23.15%, and was highest in children who had direct contact with TB (PTB) patients (61%) followed by those exposed to livestock (7.3%). The strongest risk factor for LTBI was living in the same household with a TB patient (adjusted OR 10.11, 95% CI: 2.98 - 34.35). Exposure to livestock was also associated with a higher risk of LTBI, although our small sample size limited study precision (OR 3.59, 95%CI 0.28 – 45.52). We found no evidence of an association between LTBI and consumption of undercooked meat (p=0.406) or fresh milk (p = 0.905).
Conclusion: our results suggest high household transmission and potentially increased risk in children exposed to livestock. The high prevalence of LTBI in children should be further investigated and taken into account for the elimination of TB in Cameroon.
