Screening latent tuberculous infection to treat: not so straightforward.

465 It is obvious that active tuberculosis (TB) disease must be fully treated with at least 6 months’ of anti-TB medications. What is less clear and inconsistently practiced is the screening and treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI). Swarna Nantha, in a review article published in this issue of MJM, appeals for targeted case screening of LTBI in certain high risk populations particularly our diabetic population that has a higher than average prevalence and trend compared to many countries . Many of these patients have renal disease and are living longer, both of which compounds on the risks of LTBI progressing to active disease. The author also reviews the utility of Interferon-γ Release Assays (IGRAs) that has received much attention as a diagnostic tool for LTBI and has advantages over the tuberculin skin tests (TST) like Mantoux test.