Blood test could identify tuberculosis that millions of people are unknowingly spreading

A blood test that could identify millions of people unknowingly spreading tuberculosis is about to be developed, scientists say.

By comparing proteins found in the blood of people with active TB to those found in the blood of healthy people and people with lung infections, researchers at a UK university found that southampton A set of six biomarkers were discovered that were present in high levels in patients with infectious diseases.

If successful, blood tests that detect these proteins in the blood could help identify the estimated 3 million cases of the disease that were missed last year, mostly in developing countries, said Dr. Hannah Schiff, lead author and respiratory expert at the University of Southampton. .

Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing more than one million people each year, according to the World Health Organization.

The number of cases in the UK increased to about 5,000 last year and is expected to continue to increase in 2024, the UK Health Security Agency said.

Dr. Schiff explained that TB is spread by inhaling tiny droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Although it primarily affects the lungs, it can damage any part of the body.

She said the disease remained a “global catastrophe” as efforts to control transmission were hampered by insufficient testing, meaning a third of those infected went undiagnosed and remained contagious.

How do you know if you have TB?

The NHS says symptoms of TB usually appear gradually.

The most common include a cough that lasts for more than three weeks. Some people may cough up bloody phlegm or mucus.

People may develop other symptoms if TB has spread to other parts of the body, such as the glands, bones, or brain.

This may include, but is not limited to: swollen glands, body aches, constipation, illness, or feeling confused.

Sometimes, TB causes no symptoms but is still present in an individual’s body. This is called latent TB.

Latent TB can usually be treated with antibiotics for three to six months.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Research Insights, examined proteins found in the blood of people with active TB in Africa and South America.

Dr. Diana Garay-Baquero, co-director of the study, said the findings are a roadmap for developing TB tests that are as simple as the lateral flow used during testing. Coronavirus disease Pandemic.

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“The new markers we have discovered are really exciting, but the important work now is to develop them into tests that can be used on the millions of people who unknowingly spread TB,” she said.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic has proven, we ignore highly contagious airborne diseases at our peril.”