Tuberculosis, HIV and TB/HIV co-infection in the Prison System of Itirapina, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and TB/HIV co-infection prevalences were assessed in prisons PI and PII in Itirapina, SP, Brazil. This retrospective study was performed by consulting the records of diagnostic assays carried out at the Instituto Adolfo Lutz (IAL) Rio Claro Laboratory from January 2003 to December 2010. Culture for TB was performed on 24.3 % (1,375 samples) of PI and 25.8 % (3,332 samples) of PII, and HIV serology in 32.0 % (1,810 samples) of PI and 20.4 % (2,634 samples) of PII. There were 177 (4.0 %) HIV positive samples, 157 (3.3 %) positive culture for mycobacteria, and 16 (11.5 %) for TB/HIV. The prevalences of TB were 2.8 % and 3.6 % (p=0.160) for PI and PII respectively; of HIV, 2.1 % and 5.3 % (p<0.001) for PI and PII; and of TB/HIV co-infection, 0.4 % (p=0.744) for both PI and PII. Among TB patients, HIV prevalence was 13.2 % in PI and 9.2 % (p=0.487) in PII. Higher HIV prevalence in PII suggests that it depends on the population characteristics. The high prevalence rates of TB, HIV and TB/HIV show that it is crucial to perform the diagnostic testing in all of imprisoned individuals at admission to define the disease treatment and prevention measures among inmates and their contacts.