New methods for detecting Koch’s bacillus are questioning the effectiveness of diagnostic tools as well as disease eradication strategies.
Like other respiratory infections, beginning with Covid, tuberculosis spreads “quietly”, partly under the radar.». In a study published Tuesday in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers at the University Medical Center (UMC) in Amsterdam are assessing the proportion of atypical or asymptomatic forms of the disease. They conclude that “ More than 80% of individuals who tested positive did not have a persistent cough, which is considered a hallmark symptom of tuberculosis. ». More than 60% had no cough at all, but had symptoms such as fever, weight loss, chest pain, or night sweats. After all, a quarter of infected people show no symptoms.
Airborne transmission
“ Our results may explain why, despite enormous efforts to diagnose and treat the disease, its weight is barely decreasing in Africa and Asia. »Frank Cobalens, professor of public health at UMC in Amsterdam, underlines…
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