Risk-adjusted active tuberculosis case finding strategy in central Ethiopia
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Analysis of 18FDG PET/CT Imaging as a Tool for Studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Treatment in Non-human Primates
Published on: September 5, 2017
Andre Fuchs1,2, Tafese Beyene Tufa1,3,4, Frieder Pfäfflin5
1Hirsch Institute of Tropical Medicine, Asella, Ethiopia.
Background:
The World Health Organization recommends active case finding for tuberculosis (TB). Our study evaluated the targeted screening of household contacts (HHCs) of patients with contagious pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Central Ethiopia.
Methods:
The HHCs of patients with microbiologically confirmed PTB were screened for TB symptoms and risk factors for TB transmission. Symptomatic HHCs were subjected to secondary investigation. Antimicrobial resistance was investigated among study participants.
Results:
Overall, 112 index patients with TB were included, and 289 HHCs from 89 households were screened. Multidrug-resistant-TB was detected in 2.7% (n=3) of index patients. The routine public health system process did not identify any TB suspects among HHCs. In total, 23.9% (n=69) of HHCs reported ≥1 TB symptom and PTB was confirmed in 2.1% (n=6). Reporting >1 TB symptom (relative risk [RR] 29.4, 95% CI 3.5-245.5, P<0.001) and night sweats (RR 27.1, 95% CI 3.2-226.6, P<0.001) were associated with the greatest relative risk. Regular alcohol consumption was identified as an individual risk factor for TB among HHCs (P=0.022).
Conclusion:
The MDR-TB rate among our patients was higher than recently reported for Ethiopia. Enhanced contact tracing using a risk-adjusted approach seems feasible and increases the case detection rate among HHCs of confirmed TB cases.
More Related Videos
06:26Author Spotlight: Optimizing CFU Determination for Efficient Assessment of TB Vaccine Efficacy and Antigen Presentation Analysis
Published on: July 28, 2023
09:57System for Efficacy and Cytotoxicity Screening of Inhibitors Targeting Intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Published on: April 5, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis II
Here is a detailed explanation of its pathophysiology:
Transmission: The process begins when a person inhales droplet nuclei containing M. tuberculosis. These are typically released into the air when an individual with pulmonary or...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis III
The first classification is based on the development of the disease, and it includes the following categories: