Screening for tuberculosis infection among newly arrived asylum seekers: Comparison of QuantiFERON®TB Gold with tuberculin skin test

Table 4 Different approaches to routine screening with tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON^®TB Gold

Screening programme approach	Referral criteria	Proportion (%) referred for treatment	Proportion (%) LTBI* cases detected (detection rate)	Proportion (%) non-infected referred for treatment (false positive rate)
Only TST	TST ≥ 6 mm	50	89	42
	TST ≥ 10 mm	34	75	27
	TST ≥ 15 mm	15	47	0
Only QFT	QFT positive	29	88	0
Two step (first TST, then QFT)	TST ≥ 6 mm and QFT positive, or TST ≥15 mm	29	89	0
	TST ≥ 10 mm and QFT positive or TST ≥ 15 mm	25	75	0
	TST ≥ 15 mm (with or without QFT positives afterwards)	15	47	0

*Latent infection is defined as either having a positive QuantiFERON(R)TB Gold test (264 participants) or a tuberculin skin test ≥15 mm and a negative QuantiFERON(R)TB Gold test (37 participants). Effect on screening based on identification of 301 cases of latent tuberculosis infection among 912 newly arrived asylum seekers in Norway Sept. 19. 2005 – June 12.2006

ISSN: 1471-2334