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Kharroubi G, Cherif I, Ghawar W, Dhaouadi N, Yazidi R, Chaabane S, Snoussi MA, Salem S, Ben Hammouda W, Ben Hammouda S, Gharbi A, Bel Haj Hmida N, Rourou S, Dellagi K, Barbouche MR, Benabdessalem C, Ben Ahmed M, Bettaieb J. Incidence and risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection among workers in a public health laboratory in Tunisia. Arch Virol 2023; 168:69. [PMID: 36658402 PMCID: PMC9851900 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-022-05636-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to measure the extent of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among workers at the Institut Pasteur de Tunis (IPT), a public health laboratory involved in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia, and to identify risk factors for infection in this occupational setting. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on IPT workers not vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Participants completed a questionnaire that included a history of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Immunoglobulin G antibodies against the receptor-binding domain of the spike antigen (anti-S-RBD IgG) and the nucleocapsid protein (anti-N IgG) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). A multivariate analysis was used to identify factors significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 428 workers were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of anti-S-RBD and/or anti-N IgG antibodies was 32.9% [28.7-37.4]. The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (positive serology and/or previous positive RT-PCR test) was 40.0% [35.5-44.9], while the proportion with asymptomatic infection was 32.9%. One-third of the participants with RT-PCR-confirmed infection tested seronegative more than 90 days postinfection. Participants aged over 40 and laborers were more susceptible to infection (adjusted OR [AOR] = 1.65 [1.08-2.51] and AOR = 2.67 [1.45-4.89], respectively), while tobacco smokers had a lower risk of infection (AOR = 0.54 [0.29-0.97]). The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among IPT workers was not significantly different from that detected concurrently in the general population. Hence, the professional activities conducted in this public health laboratory did not generate additional risk to that incurred outside the institute in day-to-day activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghassen Kharroubi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ines Cherif
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Wissem Ghawar
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Nawel Dhaouadi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia
| | - Rihab Yazidi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sana Chaabane
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Ali Snoussi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sadok Salem
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Wafa Ben Hammouda
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sonia Ben Hammouda
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Adel Gharbi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Nabil Bel Haj Hmida
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Samia Rourou
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Vaccinology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Koussay Dellagi
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia ,grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Pasteur Network, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Mohamed-Ridha Barbouche
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Chaouki Benabdessalem
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Melika Ben Ahmed
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Jihène Bettaieb
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002, Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia. .,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
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