Hello,

1) I believe the APHL guidelines for laboratorians want microbiologists tested twice a year. 
We had long (months) and protracted "discussions" about this with NTCA and APHL when working on the HCP guidelines with ACOEM. The problem was that there was zero evidence supporting tuberculosis being able to be spread in the lab; also, some labs were interpreting TB blood tests as risks (which is not medically possible, of course). 
Anyway, it's the rule, but not medically grounded as best we could tell.

2) Since the population you are testing are no risk and all negative (or they wouldn't be getting tested), you could use either TST or IGRA, just recognize TST has higher labor costs.

Happy weekend,
W

On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 11:27 AM Behrman, Amy via MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net> wrote:
We also continue IGRA testing for mycobacteriologists, annually in our institution.  Happily, like Mayo, we have not seen occupational conversions among this group. 

Amy

Amy J Behrman, MD, FACP, FACOEM

Chief, Occupational Medicine

Professor, Perelman School of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania

3400 Spruce Street

Philadelphia, PA  19104

 

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces+behrman=pennmedicine.upenn.edu@mylist.net> on behalf of Swift, Melanie D., M.D., M.P.H. via MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Sent: Friday, November 7, 2025 1:55 PM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Cc: Swift, Melanie D., M.D., M.P.H. <Swift.Melanie@mayo.edu>; Sarah Osdieck <Sarah.Osdieck@bjc.org>
Subject: [External] Re: [MCOH-EH] annual medical surveillance
 

Hi Sarah,

Yes, we do IGRA surveillance for mycobacteriologists every 6 months. This was one of the few areas where we continued surveillance after sunsetting most annual IGRA surveillance. When we tested most HCP annually, we tested this laboratory group more frequently. However we have not seen any occupational conversions among this group despite them handling MTB cultures!

 

 

Melanie

 

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net> On Behalf Of Sarah Osdieck via MCOH-EH
Sent: Thursday, November 6, 2025 10:21 AM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Cc: Sarah Osdieck <Sarah.Osdieck@bjc.org>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [MCOH-EH] annual medical surveillance

 

External Email Notice: This message was sent by someone outside Mayo Clinic.

Good morning,

If your hospital microbiology laboratory performs mycobacterial cultures in-house, does your institution conduct annual medical surveillance with TST or IGRA for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) for laboratory personnel working in the BSL-3?

Thanks,

 

Sarah Osdieck, MSN, FNP-BC, COHN-S

System Director

Occupational Health and Workers’ Compensation

Sarah.osdieck@bjc.org

Cell (314) 620-7621

BJC Occupational Health Services - Home (sharepoint.com)

 

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