Testing times for tuberculosis
By 
Nina Notman2024-01-15T09:03:00
Nina Notman takes a look at the recent and upcoming diagnostic and screening innovations aiming to drive down the incidence of tuberculosis globally
The over-reliance on diagnostic techniques developed over 140 years ago has left TB with a significant diagnostic gap. In 2022, 10.6 million people fell ill with TB, according to the World Health Organization. Fewer than 7.5 million of these people were diagnosed with the disease. This means 3 million people with active TB went undiagnosed – and untreated.
The familiar Heaf test – where tuberculin proteins are injected under skin by a spring-loaded gun – is rarely used today, another tuberculin skin test called the Mantoux test is still widely used. Another venerable TB diagnostic method is sputum smear microscopy, which remains the most used diagnostic tool for active pulmonary TB today in low and middle income countries, but its biggest issue is a lack of sensitivity.
Scientists around the world are looking for new alternatives, with many methods building on developments for rapid Covid tests.