Tuberculosis Testing

Current practices for latent tuberculosis infection testing may be missing high-risk patients, according to a study assessing factors associated with testing and positivity, researchers said.

There has been a rebound in cases of tuberculosis in the United States, according to the CDC, with the largest increase occurring among children aged 4 years or younger.

WASHINGTON — Data collected between 2019 and 2021 assessing trends in latent tuberculosis testing and positivity showed increased rates correlating with COVID-19 testing, researchers said at ASM Microbe.

An updated version of the Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampin assay, known as Ultra, demonstrated high sensitivity in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in children compared with traditional bacteriologic testing, according to research published in Pediatrics.