Simple blood test could aid in global TB fight
Researchers have developed a new blood-based biosensor test for tuberculosis that shows promise in early detection. The test aims to overcome the limitations of traditional sputum-based diagnostics, potentially improving global TB treatment outcomes.
Why it matters
Improved diagnostic tools are critical for controlling TB, which remains a major global health threat that kills over a million people annually.
A blood test for tuberculosis that could make it easier to detect people with the infection and help save lives has shown promise in a new study.
Researchers led by Dr Sheng-Wei Pan of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan reported the results of their study at the annual meeting of the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) in Anaheim, California, saying the blood test could permit earlier diagnosis and allow treatment to start more quickly.
TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis , which affects a quarter of the global population and in 5% to 10% of cases leads to active disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB killed 1.23 million people in 2024, even though it is almost always curable with antibiotic therapy when M. tuberculosis is detected in the initial stages of disease progression.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in