Article
Immunology
Caroline M. Williams, Abdul K. Muhammad, Basil Sambou, Adama Bojang, Alhaji Jobe, Georgetta K. Daffeh, Olumuyiwa Owolabi, Daniel Pan, Manish Pareek, Michael R. Barer, Jayne S. Sutherland, Pranabashis Haldar
Summary: Mask sampling is a sensitive and noninvasive tool for evaluating the infectiousness of individuals in high tuberculosis (TB) burden settings. It provides better insight into community transmission and can inform public health interventions more reliably than sputum bacillary load.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Meng Li, Mingcheng Guo, Ying Peng, Qi Jiang, Lan Xia, Sheng Zhong, Yong Qiu, Xin Su, Shu Zhang, Chongguang Yang, Peierdun Mijiti, Qizhi Mao, Howard Takiff, Fabin Li, Chuang Chen, Qian Gao
Summary: Tuberculosis (TB) is more prevalent in rural areas than urban areas in China. This study found that TB transmission in rural China mainly occurs through social contacts, highlighting the importance of active screening and contact tracing for TB control.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Robert Kakaire, Noah Kiwanuka, Sarah Zalwango, Juliet N. Sekandi, Trang Ho Thu Quach, Maria Eugenia Castellanos, Frederick Quinn, Christopher C. Whalen
Summary: Although households of tuberculosis cases are a key setting for tuberculosis transmission, household exposure only accounts for a small fraction of community transmission. Most first-degree social network members of TB cases do not have additional risk for infection and appear to acquire infection through exposure to infectious cases in the community.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Silvia S. Chiang, Meredith B. Brooks, Helen E. Jenkins, Dana Rubenstein, James A. Seddon, Brittney J. van de Water, Michael M. Lindeborg, Mercedes C. Becerra, Courtney M. Yuen
Summary: Household contacts of patients with drug-resistant TB have a high risk of being infected with drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains and should receive treatment that assumes drug resistance. Drug susceptibility testing should be performed whenever possible to optimize regimen composition for better treatment outcomes.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Davit Baliashvili, Neel R. Gandhi, Soyeon Kim, Michael Hughes, Vidya Mave, Alberto Mendoza-Ticona, Pedro Gonzales, Kim Narunsky, Poongulali Selvamuthu, Sharlaa Badal-Faesen, Caryn Upton, Linda Naini, Elizabeth Smith, Amita Gupta, Gavin Churchyard, Susan Swindells, Anneke Hesseling, N. Sarita Shah
Summary: A multinational study found that at least 10% of household contacts of patients with pulmonary multidrug- or rifampin-resistant tuberculosis are resistant to M. tuberculosis infection, regardless of exposure level. The prevalence of resistance did not significantly differ by sex, age, HIV coinfection, or comorbid conditions. Further research into the genetic or immunologic mechanisms underlying resistance could lead to new therapeutic and vaccine strategies.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Alexander L. Chu, Leonid W. Lecca, Roger Calderon, Carmen C. Contreras, Rosa M. Yataco, Zibiao Zhang, Mercedes C. Becerra, Megan B. Murray, Chuan-Chin Huang
Summary: This study found that the adverse effects of smoking on the transmissibility of tuberculosis are significantly reduced shortly after quitting smoking, emphasizing the importance of smoking cessation interventions in tuberculosis control.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Reiko Miyahara, Kosuke Tamura, Tomoko Kato, Mineko Nakazaki, Kanako Otani, Yura K. Ko, Taro Kamigaki, Yuzo Arima, Hideki Tani, Kazunori Oishi, Motoi Suzuki
Summary: To understand the impact of age and variants of concern on SARS-CoV-2 transmission, the researchers examined infection rates among close contacts in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, over four different periods. The study found that the odds of infection were 6.2 times higher during the Omicron variant period, particularly among children and adolescents.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Kamakshi Prudhula Devalraju, Deepak Tripathi, Venkata Sanjeev Kumar Neela, Padmaja Paidipally, Rajesh Kumar Radhakrishnan, Karan P. Singh, Mohammad Soheb Ansari, Martin Jaeger, Romana T. Netea-Maier, Mihai G. Netea, Sunmi Park, Sheue-Yann Cheng, Vijaya Lakshmi Valluri, Ramakrishna Vankayalapati
Summary: The study found that young household contacts who exhibit decreased production of thyroid hormones are at high risk of developing active TB disease.
Article
Immunology
Evangeline Ann Daniel, Kannan Thiruvengadam, Anuradha Rajamanickam, Padmapriyadarsini Chandrasekaran, Sathyamurthi Pattabiraman, Brindha Bhanu, Amsaveni Sivaprakasam, Mandar Paradkar, Vandana Kulkarni, Rajesh Karyakarte, Shri Vijay Bala Yogendra Shivakumar, Vidya Mave, Amita Gupta, Subash Babu, Luke Elizabeth Hanna
Summary: The study identified novel biomarkers with high predictive accuracy for progression to active tuberculosis, paving the way for the development of a more targeted intervention.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Komal Singh, Rajesh Kumar, Fareha Umam, Prerna Kapoor, Sudhir Sinha, Amita Aggarwal
Summary: This study identifies B cell responses that distinguish between latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active TB disease. The results suggest that the ratio of IgM to IgG antibodies, antibody binding to specific antigens, and the frequency of memory B cell subsets could indicate the protective or pathogenic immune responses following primary infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Daniel P. Oran, Eric J. Topol
Summary: Available data suggests that at least one third of SARS-CoV-2 infections are asymptomatic. Longitudinal studies indicate that nearly three quarters of individuals who test positive via PCR but show no symptoms at the time of testing will remain asymptomatic. Control strategies for COVID-19 need to be adjusted considering the prevalence and transmission risk of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections.
ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Oon Tek Ng, Vanessa Koh, Calvin J. Chiew, Kalisvar Marimuthu, Natascha May Thevasagayam, Tze Minn Mak, Joon Kiat Chua, Shannen Si Hui Ong, Yong Kai Lim, Zannatul Ferdous, Alifa Khairunnisa Bte Johari, Mark I-Cheng Chen, Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, Lin Cui, Raymond Tzer Pin Lin, Kelvin Bryan Tan, Alex R. Cook, Yee-Sin Leo, Vernon J. M. Lee
Summary: The study in Singapore focused on quarantine measures for close contacts to determine the risk of Delta variant infection, vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, and risk factors associated with acquisition and symptomatic disease. Results showed higher risk of infection with the Delta variant for asymptomatic close contacts and significant protection from vaccination against acquisition and symptomatic disease.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-WESTERN PACIFIC
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cinthya Ruiz-Tagle, Rodrigo Naves, Patricia Garcia, Anna Guenther, Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra, Maria Elvira Balcells
Summary: This study investigated the levels of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) specific IgA in saliva at different stages of latent Tuberculosis Infection (TBI). The results showed that the levels of specific IgA were higher in Mtb-infected individuals, but had low discriminatory performance for TBI diagnosis. The study also found the presence of Mtb-specific IgA against multiple antigens in saliva.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ester Lilian Acen, Irene Andia Biraro, Mudarshiru Bbuye, David Patrick Kateete, Moses L. Joloba, William Worodria
Summary: The aim of this study was to determine the association between vitamin D deficiency and TB status among patients with active TB, latent TB infection (LTBI) and those without TB infection. The study found that the vitamin D levels of active TB patients were significantly lower compared to individuals with LTBI and those without TB infection.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lander Willem, Steven Abrams, Pieter J. K. Libin, Pietro Coletti, Elise Kuylen, Oana Petrof, Signe Mogelmose, James Wambua, Sereina A. Herzog, Christel Faes, Philippe Beutels, Niel Hens
Summary: The study found that setting up household bubbles can effectively reduce hospital admissions for COVID-19, and timely contact tracing within four days of symptom onset is crucial; assumptions about children's susceptibility and social mixing patterns related to business and leisure have a significant impact on the disease burden of COVID-19; optimal deployment of mitigation policies requires adherence to social distancing, regular testing, and self-isolation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Danny Scarponi, Andrew Iskauskas, Rebecca A. Clark, Ian Vernon, Trevelyan J. McKinley, Michael Goldstein, Christinah Mukandavire, Arminder Deol, Chathika Weerasuriya, Roel Bakker, Richard G. White, Nicky McCreesh
Summary: Infectious disease models are used by epidemiologists to understand transmission dynamics, predict interventions, and improve disease understanding. However, as the complexity of these models increases, calibration to data becomes more challenging. This study introduces a new software, hmer, which efficiently calibrates complex models for tuberculosis vaccines to over 100 countries. The results show that hmer is a useful tool for epidemiologists to calibrate models and improve predictions.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Alexandra S. Richards, Bianca Sossen, Jon C. Emery, Katherine C. Horton, Torben Heinsohn, Beatrice Frascella, Federica Balzarini, Aurea Oradini-Alacreu, Brit Haecker, Anna Odone, Nicky McCreesh, Alison D. Grant, Katharina Kranzer, Frank Cobelens, Hanif Esmail, Rein M. G. J. Houben
Summary: This study quantified the pathways of tuberculosis disease progression and regression. It found that after 5 years, 40% of individuals with subclinical tuberculosis recover, 18% die, 14% remain infectious, and the rest have minimal disease at risk of re-progression. For individuals with subclinical disease at baseline, 50% never develop symptoms within 5 years. For those with clinical disease at baseline, 46% die and 20% recover from tuberculosis within 5 years.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Molebogeng X. Rangaka, Mike Frick, Gavin Churchyard, Alberto L. Garcia-Basteiro, Mark Hatherill, Willem Hanekom, Philip C. Hill, Yohhei Hamada, Matthew Quaife, Johan Vekemans, Richard G. White, Frank Cobelens
Summary: This paper discusses the urgent need for new tuberculosis vaccines and improved tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) regimens. It examines how HIV vaccine trials have incorporated preventive treatment and proposes trial designs that integrate TPT. The considerations for each design in terms of trial validity, efficiency, participant safety, and ethics are summarized.
LANCET RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Fiammetta Maria Bozzani, Nicky McCreesh, Karin Diaconu, Indira Govender, Richard G. White, Karina Kielmann, Alison D. Grant, Anna Vassall
Summary: An economic evaluation conducted in two clinics in South Africa showed that tuberculosis infection prevention and control measures, including improving ventilation and maximizing the use of existing systems, are cost-effective and should be implemented within the country's health system.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Kristin N. Nelson, Gavin Churchyard, Frank Cobelens, Willem A. Hanekom, Philip C. Hill, Benjamin Lopman, Vidya Mave, Molebogeng X. Rangaka, Johan Vekemans, Richard G. White, Emily B. Wong, Leonardo Martinez, Alberto L. Garcia-Basteiro
Summary: Tuberculosis is a leading bacterial cause of death worldwide. Several vaccine candidates are currently in clinical trials to prevent tuberculosis in adolescents and adults. However, current trial designs do not provide information on the overall effect of introducing a vaccine program, including indirect effects. Understanding these effects is crucial for policymakers considering tuberculosis vaccination programs.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rebecca A. Clark, Chathika K. Weerasuriya, Allison Portnoy, Christinah Mukandavire, Matthew Quaife, Roel Bakker, Danny Scarponi, Rebecca C. Harris, Kirankumar Rade, Sanjay Kumar Mattoo, Dheeraj Tumu, Nicolas A. Menzies, Richard G. White
Summary: The potential health and economic impact of M72/AS01(E) and BCG-revaccination in India were evaluated. The results showed that M72/AS01(E) vaccine could prevent more tuberculosis cases and deaths compared to BCG-revaccination, and almost all scenarios were cost-effective. However, there is uncertainty regarding the vaccine characteristics that requires further investment.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Peter J. Dodd, Christopher Finn Mcquaid, Prasada Rao, Ibrahim Abubakar, Nimalan Arinaminpathy, Anna Carnegie, Frank Cobelens, David Dowdy, Kathy Fiekert, Alison D. Grant, Jing Wu, Faith Nekabari Nfii, Nabila Shaikh, Rein M. G. J. Houben, Richard G. White
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Philip C. Hill, Frank Cobelens, Leonardo Martinez, Marcel A. Behr, Gavin Churchyard, Tom Evans, Andrew J. Fiore-Gartland, Alberto L. Garcia-Basteiro, Willem Hanekom, Molebogeng X. Rangaka, Johan Vekemans, Richard G. White
Summary: The development of a new tuberculosis vaccine is crucial, but the traditional development pathway is a major obstacle. By increasing sample size, simplifying screening criteria and procedures, and strengthening site capacity, phase 3 tuberculosis vaccine trials can be significantly shortened.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Letter
Immunology
Philip C. Hill, Frank Cobelens, Leonardo Martinez, Alberto L. Garcia-Basteiro, Marcel A. Behr, Molebogeng X. Rangaka, Gavin Churchyard, Tom Evans, Willem Hanekom, Richard G. White
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Allison Portnoy, Jean-Louis Arcand, Rebecca A. A. Clark, Chathika K. K. Weerasuriya, Christinah Mukandavire, Roel Bakker, Edith Patouillard, Nebiat Gebreselassie, Matteo Zignol, Mark Jit, Richard G. G. White, Nicolas A. A. Menzies
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the impact of introducing novel TB vaccines on GDP growth in 105 LMICs. The results showed that introducing new TB vaccines could increase economic growth in these countries, with a more significant effect in countries with higher current TB incidence.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Allison Portnoy, Rebecca A. Clark, Chathika K. Weerasuriya, Christinah Mukandavire, Matthew Quaife, Roel Bakker, Ines Garcia Baena, Nebiat Gebreselassie, Matteo Zignol, Mark Jit, Richard G. White, Nicolas A. Menzies
Summary: Introducing novel TB vaccines can reduce the financial burden and household economic risks for low-income individuals with tuberculosis. The health benefits of the vaccines are greatest for the lower income quintiles, reducing income-based inequalities in TB outcomes.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Danny Scarponi, Rebecca A. Clark, Chathika Krishan Weerasuriya, Jon Emery, Rein M. G. J. Houben, Richard White, Nicky McCreesh
Summary: Recent research suggests that self-clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection may be common, which could impact the potential impact of new tuberculosis vaccines. This study found that the inclusion of self-clearance in mathematical models increased the estimated relative reduction in incidence for vaccines effective only in uninfected individuals, but had variable effects on vaccines effective only in infected individuals. The inclusion of self-clearance had minimal impact on vaccines that work regardless of infection status.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rebecca A. Clark, Christinah Mukandavire, Allison Portnoy, Chathika K. Weerasuriya, Arminder Deol, Danny Scarponi, Andrew Iskauskas, Roel Bakker, Matthew Quaife, Shelly Malhotra, Nebiat Gebreselassie, Matteo Zignol, Raymond C. W. Hutubessy, Birgitte Giersing, Mark Jit, Rebecca C. Harris, Nicolas A. Menzies, Richard G. White
Summary: The study estimated the impact of novel tuberculosis vaccines in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) under different delivery scenarios. It found that introducing new tuberculosis vaccines can significantly reduce cases and deaths, and a one-off vaccination campaign is crucial for rapid impact.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rok Hrzic, Maria Vitoria Cade, Brian Li Han Wong, Nicky McCreesh, Judit Simon, Katarzyna Czabanowska
Summary: Developing a competency framework targeting Master of Public Health education, this study identified 20 competencies related to simulation model-supported decision-making in public health. The framework covers stakeholder engagement, problem definition, evidence identification, participatory system mapping, model creation and calibration, and the interpretation and dissemination of model results. The framework is instrumental in including simulation model-supported decision-making in public health training.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)