Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which most commonly affects the lungs. In healthy people, an infection with Mtb often causes no symptoms, remaining controlled as a non-contagious latent tuberculosis infection. World Health Organization estimates that one third of the world population is already infected by this bacillus. From thos...

As many countries in Europe make progress in tuberculosis (TB) control, TB incidence in Europe is diverse; in low-incidence countries (those with an incidence less than 20 per 100,000 [1]) the TB burden is increasingly borne by specific risk groups, such as migrants from highto lower-incidence countries, persons with social risk factors such as homelessness and individuals who have been in cont...

BACKGROUND The acid-fast bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis is often the first manifestation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study was conducted to better understand the mechanism underlying M. tuberculosis-specific pathogenicity early after onset of HIV infection. METHODS M. tuberculosis-specific T helper 1 (Th1) cells...

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major global health problem. A third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Only ~10% of infected individuals develop TB but there are 9 million TB cases with 1.5 million deaths annually. The standard prophylactic treatment regimens for latent TB infection take 3-9 months, and new cases of TB require at least 6 months of treatment wit...

A recently conducted study on tuberculosis contact investigations in six Sydney tuberculosis clinics - that together managed 59% of all tuberculosis cases in NSW from January 2000 to December 2009 - found that the prevalence of tuberculosis among contacts was comparable to other low-incidence settings. However, only 9% of contacts with latent tuberculosis infection received treatment. This pape...

The treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is an essential component of tuberculosis (TB) elimination in regions that have a low incidence of TB. However, the decision to treat individuals with LTBI must consider the limitations of current diagnostic tests for LTBI, the risk of developing active TB disease, the potential adverse effects from chemoprophylactic therapy, and the importa...

Tuberculosis (TB), a disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), is spread from person to person through the air. TB usually infects the lungs, but it can also infect other body parts such as the brain, kidneys, or spine. People who are infected by the bacteria but who do not exhibit symptoms have latent TB infection. It is estimated that one-third of the world’...

BACKGROUND Although tuberculosis (TB) is a minor problem in Denmark, severe and complicated cases occur in HIV positive. Since the new M. tuberculosis specific test for latent TB, the QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube test (QFT-IT) became available the patients in our clinic have been screened for the presence of latent TB using the QFT-IT test. We here report the results from the first patients screened....

INTRODUCTION Jailed populations exhibit high rates of tuberculosis (TB) infection and active disease. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed to estimate the prevalence of latent and active TB and to identify factors associated with latent infection in inmates. RESULTS The prevalence of latent TB was 49%, and the prevalence of active TB was 0.4%. The presence of a Bacille Calmette-Gué...

About 90% of all cases of tuberculosis (TB) infection are comprised of latent mycobacterial persistence in the absence of clinical manifestations. In a proportion of latently infected individuals infection eventually reactivates and becomes contagious, seriously influencing epidemiological situation. Mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transition to dormancy and TB reactivation are poorly ...