<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection among 1,659 Silicosis Patients in Zhejiang Province, China

This study evaluated the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in silicosis patients in mainland China and identified the potential risk factors for both active tuberculosis (ATB) and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because we demonstrated that M. tuberculosis prevalence was high among silicosis patients. BCG vaccination was an independent factor that reduced the risk of M. tuberculosis infection in patients with silicosis. Furthermore, we show that the prevalence of LTBI in patients with silicosis may have been underestimated by immunological detection methods. This study can help to identify targeted subgroups prioritized for M. tuberculosis control and to reduce the risk of disease development.