Key messages
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Two billion people worldwide are thought to be asymptomatically (latently) infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and at risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB)
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The prevalence of latent TB infection is inferred from tests that detect immunoreactivity to mycobacterial antigens rather than live bacteria and from mathematical modelling
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Longitudinal studies and clinical trials show that this TB immunoreactivity can persist after curative treatment
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Most people with TB immunoreactivity do not develop active TB upon immunosuppression, suggesting that they have cleared their infection while retaining immunological memory to it
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TB immunoreactivity cannot distinguish cleared from persistent infection, emphasising the urgent need for tests that can identify people with asymptomatic infections
Read and listen at BMJ…
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