South Africa: Fingerstick Blood Test Shows Promise for TB Screening

27 October 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over four million of the almost ten million people who fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) in 2020 were not diagnosed. One obstacle to more people being diagnosed is the fact that the current gold standard TB tests require people to produce sputum - something children find particularly difficult. Accordingly, researchers have been exploring alternatives such as testing for TB in blood, exhaled breath, stool, and urine.

Last week, researchers presented promising interim results showing that a new fingerstick blood test meets target criteria that the WHO set for such triage tests. Presenting the research at the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health, Dr Jayne Sutherland head of the TB research group at the Medical Research Council Unit in The Gambia, said the triage test can quickly rule out the majority of patients who do not suffer from TB. Confirmatory tests will still be needed - both to confirm infection and to establish whether the TB is drug-resistant.

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