Screening for both active and dormant TB infection key to improve detection

Screening for both active and dormant tuberculosis TB infection simultaneously can help improve detection which is key for better outcomes according to a studyThe new strategy proposed by a team of researchers led by Queen Mary University of London can curtail infection rates potentially save lives It provides a solution to problems with current TB screening which does not always accurately detect diseaseGlobal TB control requires early identification and treatment of TB in risk groups Our novel screening algorithms show that screening for active and dormant TB can be done simultaneously with high accuracy for migrants from countries where TB is common to improve individual and population benefitsrdquo said Dr Dominik Zenner Clinical Reader in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Queen MaryResearchers hope that this new approach published in the European Respiratory Journal will inform guidance from global health organisations and key decisionmakers on the most effective way to screen for TBTB is the deadliest infectious diseases globally with 108 million new cases and 125 million deaths in 2023The infection can remain dormant in the body for some years without causing the symptoms of the disease but may cause active disease in the future especially among certain people at high riskAccurate testing of both active and dormant infection is therefore of critical importance in screening programmes explained the researchersThe team examined data on 13 different TB tests as described in 437 original studies and published systematic reviews These data were then used to estimate how good screening tests are at both correctly identifying TB and avoiding false positive resultsThey found that including some immunological tests for dormant TB infection TBI tests added value to TB screening algorithms TBI tests could also support earlier diagnosis of harder to detect TB including extrapulmonary TB disease that occurs outside the patientrsquos lungs or TB in childrenThis novel approach challenges existing protocols for TB testing which reserve TBI tests for diagnosing dormant TB onlyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeveratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params