Three cheap, filter-based kits developed by a multi-institutional team and an industry partner improves the sensitivity of LED fluorescence microscopy by 5%, enable transport of sputum samples at ambient conditions without bio-safe containers and TB drug-resistance testing using molecular methods. To address the TB diagnostic challenges, a multi-institutional team has developed three cost-effective kits that … Continue reading Cheap, filter-based kits developed for TB diagnosis, drug-resistance testing
sputum smear microscopy
ICMR wins the 2017 Kochon Prize for TB research
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has won the Stop TB Kochon Prize for excellence in TB research and development. The $65,000 Prize is awarded annually by Stop TB Partnership to individuals and/or organizations that have made a significant contribution to combating TB. The ICMR emerged the winner from amongst 18 nominations. The 2017 Kochon Prize was awarded … Continue reading ICMR wins the 2017 Kochon Prize for TB research
India wants to eliminate TB by 2025 but falters on several critical fronts
In 2015, India accounted for nearly 2.8 million (27%) of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world, and 0.48 million (29%) of the 1.8 million TB deaths globally. Yet, India brings up the rear on most critical fronts to fight the disease. This has been clearly highlighted by the ‘Out of Step’ … Continue reading India wants to eliminate TB by 2025 but falters on several critical fronts
The yawning gap in tuberculosis care in India
The dismal state of tuberculosis (TB) care in the private sector in India has been exposed by a November 2015 study (The Lancet) that employed a novel strategy of using standardised TB patients — healthy individuals trained to pose as TB patients and interact with health-care providers. Standardised patient method has been widely used in India … Continue reading The yawning gap in tuberculosis care in India
Trials with antibiotics lead to TB diagnosis delay
Tuberculosis patients in India who seek care in the private sector face a delay of as long as two months before they are diagnosed correctly — if at all — according to systematic reviews of Indian studies. This becomes alarming as private sector accounts for almost half of the TB care delivered in India. A … Continue reading Trials with antibiotics lead to TB diagnosis delay
Chennai city’s new strategy to eliminate TB
Thanks to the Zero TB Cities project, if everything works to plan, Chennai may drastically reduce TB mortality, shrink the number of new cases annually and impact TB prevalence in the city in a matter of 3-5 years. Chennai has been chosen as one of two cities in the world where the Zero TB Cities … Continue reading Chennai city’s new strategy to eliminate TB
TB: India study confirms Xpert diagnostic test’s superiority
For the first time in India, the superiority of Xpert MTB/RIF over smear microscopy for bacteriological confirmation of pulmonary TB and in diagnosing MDR-TB (Multi Drug Resistant-TB) patients before initiating any treatment has been proved in a large-scale study undertaken in 2012-2013. Encouraging results The latest study, the largest in the world, found that using … Continue reading TB: India study confirms Xpert diagnostic test’s superiority
A new test promises better diagnosis of TB in children
With bacteriological diagnosis of TB (via sputum samples) in children, particularly in those aged below five years, being riddled with problems, scientists are looking at alternative methods that do not rely on sputum samples. A proof-of-concept study published recently in The New England Journal of Medicine shows promise. The sample used was blood. Suzanne T. … Continue reading A new test promises better diagnosis of TB in children
Childhood TB: symptom-based contact screening safe, reliable
From total neglect till a few years ago, childhood TB is now taking centrestage. A couple of days back, the WHO released an updated guidance for national TB programmes (NTPs) on the management of tuberculosis in children. The updated guidance takes into account many important developments and published evidence on childhood TB since the … Continue reading Childhood TB: symptom-based contact screening safe, reliable
TB in children
Childhood TB has been neglected for decades, but in the past few years the WHO has begun to realise its real impact in terms of incidence, prevalence and mortality. By R. PRASAD THE number of annual new tuberculosis (TB) cases in India has been nearly 2.2 million for the past couple of years. Many … Continue reading TB in children
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