Screening for tuberculosis among homeless shelter staff.

The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) among homeless shelter staff was assessed using the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the Quantiferon TB-Gold in tube interferon-γ release assay (QFT-TB). Investigation of 51 participants for whom both QFT-TB and TST results were available showed 47.1% and 43.1% positivity, respectively, with excellent (92%) concordance between the 2 tests. The high risk for acquiring occupational TB necessitates the development of TB surveillance protocols for homeless shelter staff in Italy.

[Assessment of the cancerogenic risk in schools]. / Valutazione del rischio cancerogeno nelle scuole.

The aim of the study is to verify the presence of the carcinogenic risk for teachers, technical assistants and students in 96 secondary schools, providing suggestions for its assessment. Since the analysis of the national and international scientific literature does not reveal data on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk nor in schools nor in similar environments, the authors gave importance to the preliminary phase of the risk assessment that is to say the inspections aimed to detect the possible presence of risk agents and to identify the possible exposed subjects. The evaluation of the exposition through the execution of environmental and biological monitoring has to be performed, according to the authors opinion, only after this indispensable preliminary phase. The carcinogenic risk has been ascertained in relation to the presence of substances used for didactical means (fuels, mineral oils, reagents, enamels and pitch, ceramic mixtures and metallic alloys) or produced during practical activities (hard wood dusts, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) deriving from high temperatures cooking), analyzing the tasks implying their use and identifying the exposed subjects. The presence of carcinogenic agents has been found out in 54 on 96 schools. In order to preserve the health status of the exposed workers in schools, it is necessary the adoption of the suitable measures of prevention and protection similarly to what is established for all the work places, even before the eventual environmental monitoring.