New Portable TB Test Announced

The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine has introduced a new pooled testing toolkit designed to expand tuberculosis diagnosis. Researchers have developed a new rapid portable test to diagnose tuberculosis. Pulmonologist Adithya Katamanchi of UC Irvine noted that patients in Uganda often require three to five visits to a health center before receiving a diagnosis. The test is described as accurate and intended to provide urgent care to patients. A new rapid portable tuberculosis test called Minidoc MTB has been announced. The device works by scanning phlegm or a tongue swab for DNA from TB bacteria. According to a study by Katamanchi and colleagues, the test is more affordable, accessible, and accurate than traditional microscopy. The technology was adapted from previous diagnostic developments to improve detection rates. The findings were published in a study involving almost 1,400 patients with TB symptoms or risk in the New England Journal of Medicine. The method is described as cheaper, more accessible, and more accurate than traditional microscope methods, according to researcher Alfred Andema. The study enrolled almost 1,400 patients with TB symptoms or risk factors at health centers across seven countries in Africa and Asia. The development follows improvements in swab-based testing technology seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.